Where You Lead
by JulesSC
Summary: Alternate version of 'Beginning of Forever'. BB meet as teenagers in 1991. Follow their life story as they endure the hardships of growing up in this colossal saga. Booth X Brennan.
1. Chapter 1

**Where You Lead**

**Summary:** Alternate version of 'Beginning of Forever'. BB meet as teenagers in 1991. Follow their life story as they endure the hardships of growing up in this colossal saga.

**A/N:** This, ladies and gentlemen, is going to be a very long, very multi-chaptered story of Booth and Brennan, from when they were in high school to the day they died, and no - I'm not kidding. It's a love story, of course, and even though they have their ups and downs, Booth and Brennan in this story are always with each other.

Originally, I was going to focus on BOF and be done with it but since BOF has taken a teen pregnancy route, I thought it would be interesting to create an AU version of it to see how things would be if BB had the chance to act their age as opposed to being forced to grow up fast due to a baby.

Now, I'm reluctant to bring in a baby in WYL even twenty, thirty years into the future for these two so there's gonna be a lot of drama I can already see unfolding. I'm actually psyched to get to the future with this story as opposed to taking it slowly so we'll see how that turns out.

***IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ***

A few changes from canon to note:

- Brennan was born in September 1976 and Booth was born in November 1974.

- Brennan's parents - Max and Christine - left Brennan and Russ in 1988 when Brennan was 12 ½, instead of 15. Russ was 18, making him over 5 years older than her instead of 4.

- Booth and Brennan are 2 years apart in age instead of 5; they met when Brennan was 14 and Booth was 16 (early 1991).

- Brennan would've been in the system for two years (December '88/January '89 - December '90/January '91) when she met Booth.

**Also note that for chapters 1 - 33, the chapters of WYL will be identical to the ones of BOF. Chapter 34 will be the first original WYL chapter.**

Anyway, please read and tell me what you think. Thank you so much.

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

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><p><em>January 4, 1991<em>

Fourteen year old Temperance Brennan kept her head down low as she followed the guidance counselor towards her new class.

About a week before the holidays, she had been called into the principal's office where she had promptly been told something she'd known most of her life - she was smart. Much too smart to be in a freshman class.

So the principal, as well as the guidance counselor, had proposed that they move her up two grades. Now here she was, about to start her first day halfway through the semester as a fourteen year old junior in high school.

Her first class as a junior was Biology II. She would be seated in Mr. Haversham's class. Her school's guidance counselor, Ms. Tierney, was going to walk her to her class, as if she were an incompetent child bound to get lost without an adult to hold her hand and guide her.

Ms. Tierney stopped at a closed door and turned to give Temperance a reassuring smile. "Are you ready, honey?" she asked, and immediately Temperance felt the urge to flinch. The social workers always called her that. _Honey_. As if adding some sort of term of endearment would make her warm up to them and become a naïve idiot who would believe everything that spewed out of their mouths.

But Temperance wasn't an idiot. Nor was she a naïve child. She might be only fourteen, but she was smart. Brilliant, even. And she didn't just mean by the books. She'd been in the system since she was twelve, almost thirteen years old. She knew how the world - this cruel, cold world - worked.

So she merely nodded at Ms. Tierney, determined not to let her see how awful she really felt at having to start classes as a junior so young. She didn't need the mean kids any more reason to tease her.

As if being a foster child wasn't bad enough already.

"Good!" Ms. Tierney chirped happily, beaming at her. She turned around again, in her flowing floral-patterned skirt and her white turtleneck. She was a pretty young woman, who could probably do better than being a guidance counselor at a high school.

Ms. Tierney knocked on the door, then twisted the handle and poked her head inside. She was disrupting the first ten minutes of class, so nothing really important was going on. "Mr. Haversham?" Ms. Tierney called out, and the teacher behind the desk immediately turned to face her. "Could I speak with you for a moment?"

He nodded, and told the class to wait for him, to read chapter nine while he was speaking with the counselor, and slipped out the door. His eyes immediately fell on Temperance, who stood there with a worn out second-hand copy of the Bio book used in his class, and a ratty backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Is this the freshman transfer?" he asked knowingly. He had already been informed last Friday. This wasn't a surprise to him.

Ms. Tierney nodded. "I just wanted to see her off for her first class," she explained. "You know, all her classes are different starting today. Could you maybe appoint someone to show her?"

Temperance felt an uncomfortable flush spread from her neck to her pale cheeks. "Oh, you don't have to do that," she said quickly, and both adults turned to look at her. She kept her head held high - while being shy was naturally instilled in her, she was also determined not to show weakness. Not since that first day in that group home where fifteen year old Marnie had torn up her favorite blanket and stolen her piece of chicken during dinner.

"I just don't want to bother anyone," she explained. It wasn't like any junior would want to show her around, anyway. Ms. Tierney meant well, but the junior would probably just laugh at her and send her in a different direction or something. She didn't want to give them another opportunity to make fun of her.

Mr. Haversham waved it away. "Nonsense," he said gruffly. "No one's going to be bothered."

Ms. Tierney left, then, and Temperance was told to follow Mr. Haversham back into the lab. "Class," Mr. Haversham called out as soon as they were inside.

"Who's the dweeb?" one of the junior girls in the class asked. Temperance snuck a quick look at her and almost scoffed. She had long, flowing blonde hair and a gorgeous, curvy body - the typical popular cheerleader, no doubt.

Mr. Haversham pretended like he didn't hear that comment, as did most teachers. Maybe it was their philosophy that kids should fight their own battles. After all, all teachers had gone through high school before. Either as the popular jock or a geeky nerd or the invisible loner, they had all survived it, grown up and became completely different people. Maybe they thought these high school years meant little. But an adult's perspective and a teenager's perspective were very different.

"This is Temperance Brennan," he introduced to the class. "She was a freshman, but she's got brains better than yours so she's here. Say hello."

Nobody really did, but one of the jocks to the left did throw a balled up piece of paper at her. Temperance side-stepped it and shot him a glare.

"Temperance, would you like to introduce yourself to the class?" Mr. Haversham asked, and Temperance blushed darkly.

"No, thanks," she mumbled awkwardly. The cheerleader giggled.

Mr. Haversham rolled his eyes and nodded. "Well, then. Why don't you have a seat next to…" his eyes roamed the classroom. Suddenly, he stopped, and he smiled widely as if he were the cat that had caught the canary. "Next to Booth."

The class erupted in laughter, then, and Temperance ducked her head. Male voices rose, the jocks calling out 'ooh' to someone. Booth, she presumed. She heard some of the females outright giggling madly. One voice stood out, protesting. "But that's my seat!" a female said, and Temperance looked up to see an incensed blonde girl glaring at her.

Mr. Haversham shrugged. "And now it's not," he replied sharply. "Sophia, move. Temperance, sit."

It felt as if he were commanding dogs instead of students, but Temperance did as she was told, anyway. She went to the seat where the blonde girl had occupied, not paying attention as she huffed all the way to an empty seat next to a bald jock. Nor did she pay attention to Booth, her lab partner.

Mr. Haversham had already turned back to the board in front of the class so Temperance quietly slipped into her seat, propped her book open to chapter nine, took out a pencil from her bag and doodled silently in the margin of the page. She'd already read chapter nine - she had read all the chapters of the book, having started early on last week the moment she'd received it.

"Hey," she heard someone whisper softly. Turning her head, brows furrowed, she found herself looking into a pair of the deepest, most beautiful chocolate brown eyes she'd ever seen in her life. "I'm Seeley Booth. But…Please just call me Booth."

"Temperance," Temperance muttered, sure that Booth as well as everyone else in the class had heard Mr. Haversham introduce her earlier.

Booth nodded, his eyes twinkling. "I know." Temperance took a moment to study him, noticing that he had incredible bone structure and amazingly flawless, lightly tanned skin. He was naturally tan, though. She could tell. His skin was this beautiful golden color. His hair matched the color of his eyes, and they were set in this messy disarray.

Booth's lips curved into a smile, a cocky grin, as if he knew what she was thinking. _Geez, of course he does, idiot. You've been ogling him blatantly!_

Blushing madly, she scowled at him and turned away. She didn't need to waste her time speaking to him. By his letterman's jacket, and his impressive muscles, she knew he had to be a jock. By his stunning good looks, she knew he had to be popular and had girls fawning over him. He might already have a girlfriend, or was one of those polygamous teenagers.

Not that she minded, or cared.

Booth was a stranger to her. Just someone she had to share her lab table with. Sure, he was handsome, but it didn't mean that she needed to be distracted by an unrequited crush.

"So, how good are you at Biology?" Booth asked, speaking cheerfully as though she hadn't just given him an icy look and dismissed him. "'cuz this class is tough. Mr. H doesn't cut any of us any slack."

Temperance didn't look at him as she answered. "That's a smart thing to do," she murmured almost absent-mindedly. "You'd never learn if he were to take things easy on you all the time. You'd fail finals."

Booth just stared at her. For a teenager, a fourteen year old one at that, she sure sounded a hell of a lot like an adult. Like she was thirty or forty or something. Weird, but intriguing.

He couldn't deny she was pretty, either. A little young, especially for a sixteen year old guy like him, but pretty. She had soft, silky-looking auburn hair, pale, creamy skin, a lovely face framing two sparkling deep blue eyes and she looked pretty curvaceous, too. He couldn't really tell cuz her clothes were so baggy. But still. She could be really beautiful if she wore a little make-up or something. Her natural beauty still stood out.

He blinked once, then shook his head a little at her answer. He was just opening his mouth to say something else when Mr. Haversham spoke up. "Booth! Since you and Temperance seem to get along so well…Why don't you show her around to her classes today?" he suggested, in that way that adults do that usually meant he had to do it - no exceptions.

Temperance noticed that even though Booth's ex-lab partner protested, and a few of the guys sniggered, calling out their 'sympathies' to him, Booth never actually uttered a sound. She snuck a quick look at him, only to be surprised to find him staring at her with an open face. His warm brown eyes were still twinkling, and the corners of his mouth were still lifted in a small, happy smile.

He didn't look like he was unhappy at all.

The rest of the class passed by uneventfully. Booth didn't say another word to Temperance, and Temperance was mostly just paying attention to the teacher though she already knew the material inside and out. There was no saying if the teacher would slip in something useful or mention something important. It was best not to miss a single word.

When the bell finally rang, Mr. Haversham reminded Booth of his duty to show Temperance to her next class and watched with a hawk's eye as Temperance and Booth left the class walking side by side.

"Oh, you have O'Malley next," Booth said, taking in Temperance's schedule in the hallway, eyes raking over each slot.

"Seeley!" someone called, and Booth winced slightly, turning his head to look as Katie Quinn, his girlfriend, came sauntering over. She was wearing that tight red top again - the one that showed off her breasts - and while he enjoyed the view, he definitely didn't enjoy the name.

"Katie," he grumbled. "Don't call me that! You know I hate it."

Katie pouted at him, completely ignoring Temperance's presence. "I'm your girlfriend, Seeley," she rolled her eyes at him. "I can't just call you 'Booth' like I'm a guy. It's weird."

Booth shook his head, but kept quiet. He'd argue with her later, with no one around to hear or watch. "Come on," Katie said, making a grab for his hand. "Walk me to my next class."

Booth shook her grip off gently. "I can't," he stated simply. "I've gotta walk Temperance to her class."

Temperance blushed slightly, "No, you don't have to do that. I'll just take that…" She made to take her schedule back but, misunderstanding her actions, Katie slapped her hand away.

"Don't _you_ touch _my_ boyfriend!" she hissed. "Just because Mr. Haversham has the delusional idea that he has to be nice to you, doesn't mean he will outside the classroom. Know your place, dweeb."

Booth looked shocked for a moment at Katie's blatant rudeness. He had seen her being sort of mean before to others - it was the social hierarchy in high school. She was a cheerleader, they were nobodies. It was normal. But he'd never really paid attention before, and they'd really only gone out for a few weeks. He didn't know her well enough.

This was sort of…Appalling.

"Wha…Kate," he said seriously, eyes flicking over to Temperance. He sincerely hoped she wouldn't cry. He couldn't stand that - seeing girls cry. It was awkward and he never really knew what to do, which just made him feel guilty.

To his surprise, Temperance didn't seem like she was going to cry at all. In fact, her face flushed and her mouth twisted into an angry scowl. Eyes flashing dangerously - and, _whoa_, could blue really look that dark, that…_Striking_! - Temperance eyed Katie up and down as if she were looking at scum at the bottom of her shoe.

Katie scoffed incredulously but Temperance merely rolled her eyes. "I wasn't going to touch your boyfriend, Blondie, I was going to take my schedule back. And I do know my place - it's somewhere higher than being walked around like I'm some sort of a dog," she smirked at Katie's outraged expression.

Snatching her schedule back, she raised an eyebrow at Booth - who was still standing there, gaping helplessly - and said, "Nice bitch you've got there."

Walking away, she felt strangely liberated. Sure, she was probably going to get lost and be late for her next class, but at least she'd had the pleasure of standing up to herself to a cheerleader… Right!

_Well, high school's going to be a hell of a lot more painful now_, she reminded herself and winced at how stupid she'd been. The euphoria she'd felt as talking back was quickly fading as she remembered one important rule, in foster care and in high school.

It was best just to keep your mouth shut.

_Aw, crap_.

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><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

Juliet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

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><p><em>January 7, 1991<em>

By the end of the week, Katie Quinn and her entire cheerleading posse had started the 'Temperance Brennan is a loser' club.

They'd spread rumors, and laughed at her while tripping her in the hallways and made sure to let everyone know that Temperance was an outcast - socialization with her would mean social suicide.

Of course, to Booth, Katie hadn't been involved in any of this. He'd ask her himself and she'd denied it, giving him puppy dog eyes and telling him how she'd even tried to stop the rumors herself but had been unsuccessful - "You know how high school kids are like, Seeley. I couldn't do anything!" When he'd hug her to comfort her, she'd give Temperance a smirk and a devious wink.

Temperance didn't really care much. She'd been at a different school just last year, and they had been cruel to her there then, too. And it wasn't as if foster care was such a breeze, either. Having been in foster care since before she was thirteen, this was normal to her.

Booth had become her only 'friend' - and she used that term loosely. They wouldn't talk to each other in the hallways or in the cafeteria or hung out after school. But he would always greet her with a smile and a 'hey' every time they saw each other in Bio class and the two other classes they shared - World History and Trig.

So far, he was the only person in the entire school to treat her nicely, and she was suspicious. It wasn't in her nature to trust anyone, especially having gone through what she had, and it just didn't make any sense to her. She was an outcast and he was Mr. Popular. People like him didn't act nicely to people like her.

She chose to act cordially with him, greeting him back but not being happy about it. After all, what was there to be happy about? So Booth greeted her. Big whoop.

"So," Mr. Haversham called out loudly, first thing Monday morning. "I've graded your pop quizzes from last Friday…Most of you aced it - it was pretty easy."

At this, everyone cheered, but there were a few - who weren't so confident that they'd done well - who sat glumly, anxiously, at the edge of their seats.

"Scott! Pillsbury! Sparks! Oliver! Kirk!"

"Brennan!" Temperance straightened a little in her seat and smiled a little to herself as she saw the perfect one hundred score marked in red at the top right hand corner of her worksheet. "Good work," Mr. Haversham praised her in a softer voice.

"Booth!" Temperance snuck a quick look at Booth's paper and was surprised by the thirty-eight circled and underlined.

Booth groaned underneath his breath at the number and flipped the paper over so that no one would see the score. Pops was going to give him hell for this - he'd already gotten in trouble for failing his last two tests. Of course, this was just a pop quiz. And it was a surprise pop quiz, too. He _could_ just tell Pops that he hadn't gotten the time to review his material or whatever. That'd work, right?

"Take a good look at your answers. See where you went wrong. Remember, mid-terms are four weeks away!"

When the bell rang to signal the end of the class, everyone filed out quickly. "Booth! Temperance! I want to talk to the two of you!" Mr. Haversham called out.

Temperance bit her lip, worried. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? She hoped she wouldn't get in trouble - Wade Dawson, her foster father, wouldn't like that at all. She _really_ didn't want to upset him in any way.

"I've been talking to Ms. Ferris," Mr. Haversham stated as soon as they reached his desk. Ms. Ferris was their Trig teacher. Booth was convinced she hated him. "And you failed your last Trig test, too, Booth."

He shrugged, shifting his bag strap higher on his shoulder. "I was pretty busy," he defended himself. "I had practice."

Mr. Haversham nodded, as if he understood this perfectly, "Yes, yes. I remember back in high school…All the jocks were, uh, too cool for school."

Mr. Haversham looked amused, and Booth just rolled his eyes. Temperance stared at him in confusion. He cleared his throat. "The point is, I don't care," he stated bluntly. "Your grades are dropping, and Ms. Ferris and I both agreed that you need a tutor."

And, suddenly, the reason why Temperance Brennan was standing right next to him while his teacher lectured him about pulling up his grades became very clear.

"_Her_?" he asked, surprised. "You want _her_ to tutor _me_? She's two years younger than me."

Mr. Haversham shrugged while Temperance scowled in his direction. "She's smarter than you," Haversham reminded Booth. "And she got a perfect score for her pop quiz."

"Well, what about Trig?" Booth demanded. "She didn't even take the test." It wasn't that he didn't like Temperance. He really did. She was nice. Aloof, maybe, and a little too literal whenever he spoke to her - which wasn't a lot, admittedly. But Katie wasn't going to like this, and the guys were going to tease him mercilessly.

"No, but she's been getting all the answers right for her assignments so far," Mr. Haversham patiently explained. "Look, Booth," he sighed, using the surname he'd insisted on being called since he was seven. "It's either get tutored or flunk and get benched for the rest of the season."

Booth's jaw dropped. "Wait, what? You can't do that!" he protested.

Mr. Haversham raised an eyebrow at him. "You know all of you have to maintain a passing grade to play," he said. "Coach won't let you play if your grades slip - and they're slipping."

Booth sighed heavily, running a hand through his short, wavy brown hair. "Fine," he muttered, shooting a look at Temperance, who was scowling at thin air with her arms crossed. "When?"

"Twice a week," Mr. Haversham replied. "All the way until mid-terms, then we'll see how it goes. You guys choose the timing, location, etcetera. But I want a weekly progress report. Either of you bail on this and there will be consequences."

With that, they were dismissed.

"So…" Booth said, chuckling awkwardly. "When do you wanna do this?"

Temperance stopped short in the hallway and swung around to glare at him. "I don't _want_ to do this," she snapped at him. "But I _have_ to do this. Anywhere is fine with me. Fridays and Saturdays." She knew she would only get away with that because Wade Dawson would be 'out of town' on Fridays and Saturdays, and Mrs. Dawson was rarely sober enough to care about her whereabouts. Other days weren't good for her because Wade would want a hot meal on the table when he returned and for her to be locked in her room, or doing whatever he wanted her to do, or being a punching bag for him.

Booth raised his hands up in protest. "Whoa, wait. I can't do Fridays and Saturdays," he tried to protest. "You know, I mean, c'mon…Those are date nights. I've gotta take Katie out."

She shrugged. "Then you can ask Mr. Haversham for another tutor," she replied icily before turning around and walking away from him as fast as she could. Her next class was AP French, which didn't include him. She was thankful for that.

At the end of the day, she slammed her locker shut and was headed towards the front entrance of the school to walk back to the Dawson's house when she heard someone calling her name. Recognizing his voice, she continued walking in hopes of evading him.

"Hey! Hey, wait! Temperance! Wait up!" she heard him call out as he ran to catch up to her. Unfortunately, he was a jock with longer and faster legs than her, so he did so quite easily. "Hey," he said breathlessly, hand grabbing at her elbow.

She turned to glare at him, yanking her elbow from his grasp. "_Don't_ grab me!" she hissed.

He dropped her arm from his grip, eyes wide. "Alright, alright, fine!" he shook his head. "Jeez. Look, I just wanted to tell you that I'm fine with Friday and Saturday. I was thinking Friday, at around six-ish? I've got basketball practice right after school, so I should be done by then. Then Saturday morning, maybe? Ten or something?"

Temperance nodded stiffly. "Fine," she said coolly. "Where?"

Booth pursed his lips. "Well, Mr. Haversham said we could use the school library, but I don't think they're still open at six, and I don't wanna come back here on a Saturday," he deliberated, almost speaking to himself. Glancing at her, he asked, "What about your place?"

Hiding her flinch, she muttered, "No."

He waited for an explanation before realizing that she wasn't giving one. "Why not?"

She glowered at him. "My _dad_," her tongue burned just saying that. "Doesn't like company over."

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. We'll study at _my_ house, then," he compromised.

She stared at him as if waiting for something important, and when he only stood there looking at her, she pulled an exasperated expression and looked at him as if he were an idiot. "I'm going to need directions."

He muttered a 'right' and pulled out his notebook. Scribbling his address down, he tore the paper out and handed it to her. "My number's on there, too, in case you need to call for whatever reason," he told her, nodding at the paper.

Temperance eyed the address and phone number before looking up at him. Blinking innocently, she said, "Your handwriting's atrocious."

He watched with wide eyes and mouth agape as she turned around, hitting him in the face with her coconut-vanilla-and-honey smelling hair, striding out of the school's entrance like it was nobody's business.

Blinking rapidly at the empty space she was just standing at, he shook his head slowly. _What. The. Hell?_

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><p>Thoughts? Opinions? Please do share.<p>

Juliet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

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><p><em>January 11, 1991<em>

"The directions you gave me were horrible," was the first thing she said to him when he opened the door for her at quarter to seven Friday night. "I got lost and had to use a cab to get here."

Her usually icy attitude did nothing to calm him down. He'd had a pretty crappy day at school today, what with the test in Spanish that he knew he'd flunk simply because the only question he knew the answer to was his name. Then there was Trig, which sucked, too, because teachers were pretty much piling homework and tests and pop quizzes because midterms were so close.

Katie had been especially hard on him lately, upset that Temperance was going to be 'spending time' with him. She didn't like it, and wasn't afraid to tell him that. It wasn't like it was his idea in the first place - no matter how intrigued he was by Temperance, he couldn't deny the fact that she drove him completely up the wall. And it wasn't like he wasn't getting enough of a hard time with the guys ragging on him about Temperance, anyway.

He shrugged, irritated, and shut the door behind her. "Whatever. Let's just go inside, okay?" he led her towards the living room, where Jared was sprawled on the couch, watching TV. "Jar, go away. I need to study."

Jared pulled his attention away from the TV long enough to look over at Temperance. "_Riiiiiight_," he dragged out the word, scoffing. "You're gonna 'study'."

Temperance, confused, turned to Booth and 'whispered' not-so-quietly. "Why is he using quotation marks on the word 'study'?"

Mortified, Booth shrugged. "I don't know," he almost snapped at Temperance. Grabbing the remote from his 'almost twelve year old' brother, he shut off the TV. Ignoring Jared's protests, he said sternly, "Go upstairs, Jared. I mean it."

Jared glared at his older brother. "I'm telling Pops!" he spat out, then proceeded to run out of the room, screaming for their grandfather.

"Kids," Booth scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Well, sit or something," Booth gestured towards the couch. Temperance sat and waited. "Do you want a drink? We've got soda. I think."

Temperance shook her head. "No, thank you," she said politely. "I don't drink soda."

Booth stopped, eyebrows drawn together. "Why not?" he asked, bewildered.

"It's unhealthy."

He stared at her for a long moment before guffawing. The incredulity of her answer had not only made him laugh - because, really, despite being younger, she was still a teenager, and what teenager wouldn't drink soda because it was 'unhealthy'? - but it suddenly, strangely, felt like the heavy weight on his shoulders had been lifted. The exhaustion he'd suffered from having such a terrible day had simply disappeared, and left in its wake just cheerful energy.

"You're not _normal_, are you?" he asked, a huge grin on his face as he reveled in his newfound happiness, no matter how odd it was.

Despite the scowl on her face and her attempt at being angry with him, she couldn't find it in herself to be really irritated with him. That smile was just too cheeky, too…_Booth_. Not that she would admit that to anyone - especially him.

So she just huffed 'angrily' and spat out, "I'm just as normal as anyone else, _Seeley_."

Sneering his first name like that got him to stop laughing. He frowned unhappily at her.

"What's this I hear about a pretty girl in the living room?" she heard someone call out and turned her head, blushing, to see a man around the age of sixty strolling into the room. For a man his age, he was still pretty healthy - he was walking around with a straight posture with no help whatsoever, he still had a full head of hair and he looked pretty healthy.

Booth groaned, rubbing a hand down his face, embarrassed. "Pops," he warned. "This is Temperance Brennan. My tutor. Remember, I told you she was coming over?"

Pops nodded his head, assessing Temperance with brown eyes she realized were the same as Booth's and Jared's. "Yeah, I remember," he said in a teasing tone, and leaned towards Temperance slightly. "He's been worrying about what to wear for an hour before you got here."

"Pops!" Booth stared, horrified, at his grandfather. The old geezer was completely exaggerating things. He hadn't worried about what to wear for _an hour_! Forty minutes, tops.

Pops didn't heed his embarrassed shout. Instead, he stuck his hand out for Temperance to take.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Booth," Temperance smiled.

When Temperance slipped her hand into his, he shook it gently before bending down to press a gentle kiss to her knuckles. "You just call me 'Pops', sweetheart," he crooned. "I have a feeling you're going to be around here _a lot_." Turning his head slightly in Booth's direction, he said, without taking his eyes away from Temperance, "Right, shrimp?"

Temperance merely blushed a deeper red while Booth hissed out a 'Pops!' and tried to shove his grandfather out the living room door. "We _really_ have to get to studying now! Bye!"

Once his guffawing grandfather was out of the living room and back in the kitchen, Booth turned his red face to Temperance. "Old man's going senile," he muttered as an excuse, and went to plop down next to her on the couch.

They sat together in an awkward silence for a long moment before Temperance cleared her throat. "So which do you want to start with first? Trig or Bio?"

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><p>I love Pops. I truly do. He was so awesome.<p>

Thank you for reading.

Juliet.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Despite the fact that this chapter starts out during a tuition session, it's not on the same day. The last chapter was on 'January 11', and now it's 'January 26', so they've been having tuition sessions for a few weeks now.

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

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><p><em>January 26, 1991<em>

"Let's take a break."

Temperance scowled at him from across the couch. "Booth!" she protested. "We've only been studying for twenty minutes."

He nodded, wide-eyed. "Yeah, and my brain's already turned to mush."

She rolled her eyes at that. "What brain?" she muttered under her breath.

He heard her and grabbed the nearest couch cushion, lobbing it at her. "Hey!" he mock growled. "I have a brain! So I'm not Doogie smart like you…"

She furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion. "_What_?" she asked incredulously.

He shook his head at her. "Never mind." Reaching over, he slammed the book on her lap shut. "Come on. Let's get a drink, watch some TV for a while."

He pulled her up by the hand and led her to the kitchen. And though she protested, she followed him in willingly anyway. "What do you want?" he asked, ignoring her jabbering about not procrastinating, and poked his head into the open fridge door. "We've got Mountain Dew and…Well, water."

Temperance cocked her hips to the side and folded her arms tightly across her chest. "What I want is to get back to work," she grumbled. At the look he gave her, she tilted her head to the side and relented with a small smile. "Water, please."

He grabbed a bottle of water and threw it at her. She caught it easily, unflinchingly, and had twisted the cap open and gulped down a sip or two before he could even blink. Booth smirked and grabbed a Mountain Dew for himself. "I'll put a bowl of popcorn in the microwave," he offered. "We could watch a movie."

Temperance sighed and shot him a disapproving look. She knew no matter how hard she would try to dissuade him, she wouldn't be successful. He was just stubborn that way. "A movie, Booth?" she didn't sound enthusiastic at all. "We won't get any work done if we watch a movie. It would take longer than our tutoring time today alone."

He shrugged, throwing her a cheeky smile. "So this won't count as part of our tutor session," he said simply, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

_With all the girls he'd dated, it probably is_, Temperance thought before catching herself. A movie didn't mean anything. He was just bored. Teenage boys were predictable like that. And she wasn't the kind of girl Seeley Booth would ever consider dating. Not that she even wanted him to consider it. _She_ certainly wasn't considering it. At all.

Besides, he had a girlfriend. Perfect cheerleader Katie Quinn, with her perfect hair and her perfect face and her perfect life. Why on earth would Booth even look at anyone else if he had Katie?

Temperance blinked a few times, as if to shake away her recent line of thoughts.

"We'll start up again after the movie," Booth continued to coax, unaware of Temperance's inner turmoil. "Now it's just 'Seeley and Temperance Hanging Out Time'."

Temperance rolled her eyes. "You hate your first name," she said, completely deflecting his offer as she bit back a smile. It was ridiculous how charming the boy was.

He wasn't deterred. "Come on…" he cajoled, charismatic smile in place.

She sighed again and eyed him warily.

It was strange enough that he was nice to her at school - not just in class, either. These days, she'd get a smile in the hallways as they passed each other, or a 'Hey, Temperance!' in the cafeteria.

It was weird since guys like him - jocks - didn't hang around girls like her - 'total losers', as his girlfriend and her evil posse of cheerleaders had put it. But now he wanted to _hang out_ with her? Not just be nice to her in passing, but spend more time with her than necessary? And doing something pleasant, too.

What was going on?

She sincerely hoped it wasn't another set-up, because she'd been caught in the middle of those one too many times. And she hoped Booth wouldn't turn out to be another Andy Fluger because, in her opinion, one Andy Fluger in the world was one too many.

Besides, she liked Booth. He was nice. And she liked Pops and Jared, too. If Booth turned out to be a jerk, then her memories of them would be tainted for a long while. That wouldn't be very nice.

Booth watched as she eyed him with narrowed blue orbs, a contemplative, cautious expression on her face. Rolling his eyes, he went to grab a bag of microwave-able popcorn. "I'm not about to sprout fangs and turn into a demon or something," he said sarcastically.

Temperance shot him a look as if questioning his sanity. "Of course you're not," she stated matter-of-factly. "That's not scientifically possible. And, even if it were, there are no such thing as demons."

Booth pursed his lips. "Right. Whatever," he pressed the palms of his hands on her shoulder blades gently and turned her towards the kitchen entrance. "Go pick out a movie. I'll scrounge up junk food."

"Why?"

"Because it's how people watch movies. You know, with a load of junk food. Candy, popcorn, chocolate. Whatever."

She shuddered slightly. "That is so unhealthy," she muttered. He chuckled at that. She paused briefly. "You don't happen to own any Mayan documentaries, do you?" she asked hopefully.

He thanked God he didn't.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading.<p>

Juliet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>February 8, 1991<em>

"Pops! Jared!" Booth called out as he stepped into the house. Coach had kept everyone back an hour later than usual tonight, and he was worried Temperance had just gone home.

He had gotten into an argument with Katie earlier about hanging out with Temperance too much. She was giving him a headache and Temperance, with her usual innocent naiveté, would always cheer him up. He didn't know how or why, but it was true.

"In the kitchen!" he heard, and started. That hadn't been Pops' gruff but warm voice, nor had it been Jared's 'just-hit-puberty' squeaky voice. It had been a decidedly female, decidedly 'icy and stubborn even when answering a normal question', voice. _Unmistakably_ Temperance's smoky, husky voice.

He entered the kitchen with a surprised expression on his face. At the sight in front of him, his eyebrows hit his hairline.

Temperance Brennan was standing behind his kitchen counter, stirring something that smelled heavenly in a mixing bowl, wearing flour on her cheeks and sporting sparkling, calm blue eyes. Pops was working on something on the stove, and Booth knew just by the smell that it was Pops' famous grilled cheese sandwiches. His stomach growled just at the thought.

Jared was sitting on one of the barstools at the kitchen island, staring at Temperance with a lovesick puppy expression on his face.

Booth rolled his eyes at that and turned to Temperance, smiling confusedly. "What are you doing?" he asked, eyes darting from Temperance to Pops to Temperance again.

"Pops told me you were going to be late," Temperance explained. "And I was just going to go home, but he wouldn't let me. I hope you don't mind…" She was shy all of a sudden, and he found himself liking this side of her as much as he liked the usual, fiery side of her. "He asked me to stay for dinner."

He grinned at her warmly. "No, I don't mind at all," he assured her. In fact, he was going to have to remember to do his chores without being asked and get Pops something nice for this.

Why? He didn't know, and didn't want to know. He'd rather stay in the dark place called denial for just a little while longer.

"What're you making?" he asked, peering at the mixing bowl filled with chocolate goodness.

"My mom…," Temperance said, and swallowed hard, pausing for a moment. "She used to make pudding every Sunday, without fail. I don't have the slightest inkling why, but she did. I thought I'd make it for dessert."

Booth stopped trying to get a taste of the chocolate mixture and stared at her with a tender expression on his face. It was making her nervous, so she dropped her gaze to the ground.

"Thank you," Booth said finally, softly.

He didn't know what went on in her home life - no one did. She was quiet, and reserved, and even when he thought they'd made headway in their odd little friendship, she steered clear of anything involving her home life. What he did know was that something went on in her personal life. He knew because she was as defensive and as seemingly angry about it as he used to be - as he still was, really - about anything involving his childhood before Pops came and rescued him and Jared.

So, even if he didn't know exactly what it was about her parents that upset her so much, he still knew that this had to be hard for her.

But here she was, making something she had shared with no one but her family during what was, judging from the softness in her blue eyes, obviously a more pleasant time, to share it with him…

Well, him, Pops and Jared, but who's counting?

They held each other's gaze for the longest time possible. Booth watched as her icy eyes lost their usual aloofness, and soften to a beautiful, calm blue ocean.

Pops cleared his throat, jolting the two teenagers out of their moment. Temperance blushed darkly and ducked her head, turning her body away from Booth to keep stirring at the mixture. Booth shot his Pops a scowl, to which he only received an amused smile in return.

"Seeley, go upstairs and shower, would ya?" Pops called out. "You stink worse than a pig covered in mud, baking in a hundred degree weather."

Booth wrinkled his nose at the reference and nodded his head, darting out of the kitchen to head upstairs. He didn't want to stink near Temperance - that would be gross. And he wasn't really sure why he was so panicked at the thought of smelling badly near her. Must be because she was a girl, and she was making him pudding.

Jared, on the other hand, was smacked in the shoulder with a towel that was slung over Pop's shoulder. "Go set the table, shortcake," he instructed.

Jared made a face at his grandfather, "Aw, Pops…Can't I just stay here?" He winced a little at the squeaky tone of his voice. Stupid Seeley didn't have such a bad time going through puberty. It wasn't as horrible or as obvious, either.

Pops turned firm eyes on Jared. "Now, shortcake."

Jared huffed but complied, hopping off his seat and going in the direction of the living room, where Pops had a small, four-chairs dining table propped between the kitchen door and the couches.

Once the grilled cheese sandwiches were stacked on a large plate, and there was a jug of ice tea on the table, Booth came bounding down the steps. "He didn't even help with anything," Jared pouted, grumbling angrily underneath his breath. As Booth passed him, he ruffled Jared's hair, messing it up. Jared glared and roughly shoved Booth's hands away.

Booth chuckled and plopped down on his seat. He was happy to note that Temperance was seated next to him, already reaching for a cheese sandwich.

He stopped her. "Wait, we've gotta say grace," he reminded her.

Temperance furrowed her brow at him - _and God, why didn't he ever notice how adorable that was?_ - and tilted her head to the side questioningly. "Say grace?"

He nodded, frowning. Why did she look so confused? "Yeah. Every meal, before we eat, we say our grace to God."

Her eyes lit up, then, in understanding and recognition. "I don't believe in religion," she stated matter-of-factly.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "You don't?" He hoped he sounded nonchalant. It wasn't like he was opposed to others who weren't of the same faith as he was. Or, in Temperance's case, who wasn't of _any_ religious faith at all.

She shook her head. "No," she said, her voice still very matter-of-factly. "I believe God isn't real, and is just a figment of overactive imaginations."

Irritation sparked in him, and he found himself suddenly glaring at her. "Temperance, don't say that," he chided.

She huffed, and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring right back at him. "Why not?" she demanded. "It's the truth."

"It is not!"

"Yes, it is. It's not logical, or scientifically possible. There is no way that an invisible deity created earth, and everything in it -"

"_An invisible deity_!" Booth repeated incredulously, angling his body towards her so he could stare at her. Even infuriating and being so damn stubborn, she was beautiful.

"Well, yes. No one can see God. He's just your invisible friend," Temperance shrugged nonchalantly, as if this were a normal, everyday conversation sane people had with each other.

Booth shook his head at her. "Hey, you know what? I don't care that you don't have faith in religion - but do you have to look down on us who do?"

"I don't look down on you," she said, and though her voice was soft and small, Booth heard her perfectly well. Well enough to stop his rant.

"You don't?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

She smiled a little. "No, I don't," she insisted. "I'm going to be an anthropologist, Booth. While I might not believe in religion - as a scientist, I'm an empiricist - but being an anthropologist also means that I'm an observer. I study people, and their faiths, their belief systems, their way of life. Christianity is not my faith, but I still respect that it's yours."

His narrowed eyes stayed on her innocent baby blues, staring her down and searching deep inside those beautiful eyes - he knew she'd spout off something about how eyes aren't really the windows to a person's soul because there's no such thing.

When he finally saw what he was looking for, that she was really genuine in her words, he smiled, and straightened back in his seat. "Okay, then," he said, nodding his head once as if to agree.

"Right," Temperance replied, resisting the incredibly childish urge to stick her tongue out at him and say 'so there'.

The duo seemed to have return from whatever planet they were from that seemed to exclude everyone else in the entire universe, and turned abashed, startled eyes to Pops and Jared. Jared looked somewhat between bored and angry at his older brother for 'flirting' with Temperance.

Pops, on the other hand, merely smiled at them amusedly. "You two done?" he asked jokingly in his gruff manner. "It's like you're an old married couple," he muttered, just loud enough for Booth and Temperance to hear.

Before either could really say anything in protest, Pops had started saying grace. Temperance, who didn't believe in God, simply kept her head down in respect, as she had done quite a few times before in her life.

"Oh, my God!" Booth groaned, scooping up more pudding with his spoon. "This is awesome."

Temperance rolled her eyes as she watched him practically inhaling the pudding, shoving the creamy dessert into his mouth. "Don't choke on it," she quipped, but couldn't help the small smile threatening to break out on her lips. It was nice to know that he liked what she had made for him, Pops and Jared.

"I want more," he said, at the same time Jared said the same thing. Suddenly, there was a tug of war between the two, fighting over the pudding bowl.

Pops finally had enough and grabbed the pudding bowl from the table. "Maybe we should ask if Temperance wants to take some back home," he suggested in a firm voice.

Temperance flushed a dark red. Take some back home? Well, she'd love to, except that it was likely that the wall would be the one wearing the pudding instead of a nice family sitting around a table eating it peacefully. Happily. Like what Booth's family was doing right now.

"Um, no," she said, then added as an afterthought, "Thanks." She stood up and began clearing the table.

"Oh, no, let me do that," Booth insisted, standing with her as well. "You're my guest-"

Jared cleared his throat, and Temperance heard a dull thud.

Booth winced, then said, "I mean, you're _our_ guest…You already made awesome pudding. You don't have to do the dishes, too."

Temperance looked worried, as if she wasn't sure she should take his words at face value. "Are you sure?" she asked, alternating looks between Booth and Pops. "I don't want to inconvenience anyone further…"

"Nonsense!" Pops suddenly blurted out. "You did no such thing. In fact, I want you to have dinner with us again sometime soon. Shrimp! Make sure you ask her to dinner again soon!" Pops instructed, then carried the half-full big bowl of pudding into the kitchen, mumbling something about hiding the pudding.

Booth didn't even bother mentioning that he hadn't been the one to invite Temperance over for dinner in the first place. He thought inviting her over had been a great idea, and having her over again seemed just perfect.

"I have to leave," Temperance said suddenly, pulling him out of his thoughts. Booth stopped ogling her like an idiot long enough to notice that she looked seriously freaked, eyes flickering towards the clock on the wall every few seconds. "I can't be late reaching home."

He scrambled after her as she walked quickly over to the living room.

Jared, who was still sitting at his seat and licking pudding off his bowl, smirked at Booth with chocolate covered lips. "Can't keep her interested, Seel?" he joked, causing Booth to scowl and shove at him as he passed.

"Hey, wait up," he called out, reaching her just as she was slinging her book bag over her shoulder, her coat on one arm.

She turned to look at him, and he almost gasped at the color of her eyes - right there, standing before him with the moon shining brightly behind her from the window, she looked…Ethereal. Her eyes glowed a luminescent blue, and he wondered how anyone could look so beautiful.

"I had a really good time," she told him, almost shyly. "Thank Pops for me, for inviting me to stay. Again, I hope I didn't intrude on your family time."

She turned to leave, then, but he took hold of her wrist gently. "Hey," he called out softly. She turned back to him but her eyes were on his hand wrapped around her wrist, so he let go hastily. "I didn't mind having you over. In fact, it was a lot of fun, and I think we should do this again sometime."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You're only saying that because Pops made you," she said stubbornly.

He merely smiled and retorted playfully, "Nah. I'm only saying it because you make awesome pudding."

It only took one look into his eyes for her to know that he was only joking - he enjoyed her company, and he had fun tonight, as well.

"Well, I have to get going…" she trailed off, tilting her head towards the door.

He stopped her again. "I'll drive you back," he offered.

She shook her head, ducking her head to hide her eyes. For whatever reason, she had never been able to lie to Seeley Booth. Not even when they first met and hadn't been able to get along - in class or out of it. He'd mentioned once how her eyes said it all - her eyes showed her emotions, showed how she really felt. 'Expressive', he'd called them.

She didn't like it then, and she didn't like it now. And she definitely didn't need him reading her eyes now and seeing the panic in them. "No, it's okay," she assured him quickly. "I'm taking the bus."

He waved it off with an incredulous scoff. "Please, do you know how late it is?" he asked her.

"Eight thirty."

He rolled his eyes. "It was a rhetorical question, Temperance," he explained patiently. He was, again, awestruck at how far they'd come along in such a short time. A few weeks ago, her clueless-ness would've irritated him for some odd reason. Now, he simply found it endearing. "C'mon. You never know what's lurking out there. I can't let you take the bus home this late, all alone."

She was suddenly angry. "You can't '_let_ me'!" she repeated his words, glaring at him even as he ignored her and went searching for his car keys. "Don't ignore me, Seeley Booth! I'm not some child you have control over! You don't have the right to 'let me' do anything!"

He turned back around to face her, blinking at the sudden ferocity of her words. He knew by now that she was fiercely independent, and knew that it had to have ticked her off that he was taking charge, but he didn't think she'd be this angry. "Temperance-"

She cut him off, stepping close to him and jabbing him in the chest with her finger. He winced slightly and thanked God she wasn't one of those girls who'd get manicures and have sharp nails. "And I'll have you know that I'm a very capable person to go anywhere on my own, thank you very much," she said in that haughty tone of hers.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed at her wrist. "I know," he insisted in a low voice. His tone made her pause and look at him squarely in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Temperance, I didn't mean it to sound the way it came out. I wasn't questioning your ability to be independent. I just…" He sighed heavily and released his grip on her. "I just care about you, okay? It worries me to think of you going about late at night. Please? Just do this for me?"

She stared deep into his dark chocolate eyes, standing so close to each other that their bodies were touching. His eyes were, she deduced, even more stunning this up close.

Seeing the genuine concern in his eyes - and not chauvinistic male attitude as she'd originally thought - she sighed and acquiesced. "Fine," she conceded grudgingly. "But only because you're kinda nice." Seeing his smug smile, she added, "Sometimes."

He finally located his keys on the floor, right next to the small coffee table it must have fallen off of, and grabbed it. Straightening up, his hand found its usual place at the small of her back while he twirled the keys with his other. "I'm always nice," he commented to her jokingly as they walked towards the door.

"Pops! I'm driving Temperance home! Be back in a bit!"

"Drive safe!"

Once they were inside his car, Booth revved up the engine and cranked up the heater. It was a very weak one, so he had to wait a few minutes before the car wasn't too cold. "So…What was it you said earlier?" he asked, and she turned questioning, guarded, eyes to him. "About what you're gonna be?"

He'd heard her mention it before several times, but he still had no clue what it was. And she usually used such big words that he couldn't figure out, it just confused him and muddled up all the words. He couldn't have recalled them to look them up later if he tried.

Temperance's eyes lit up, and the guarded look melted away. With a smile he'd never seen on her before, she started speaking animatedly. "A forensic anthropologist," she explained. "It's a field of forensic science that deals with human remains that have been badly burnt, destroyed or decomposed beyond recognition. These remains can't be identified using standard forensic methods."

Booth's face was crinkled with disgust. "Okay, what!" he almost yelped. "So…So, you deal with, like homicide or something?"

She shook her head. "Not necessarily," she chirped. She sounded so freakishly _cheerful_! Booth watched on in awe as she continued happily, "Forensic anthropologists normally work with the bones of the deceased. We determine their age, sex and cause of death by examining their bones."

He blinked at her incredulously. "No way," he shook his head in protest. "There's no way anyone can do that. I mean, if there's only their freaky bones left…"

She glared at him stubbornly. "Yes, they can!" she crossed her arms across her chest. "From matching the marks and indentations of the bones to certain events that had occurred in a person's life - biking injuries or accidents or even certain diseases that had left a mark on the bones - to examining the part of the skeletal system that seemed to have caused the person's death. Say, for example, the crushed frontal bone."

Booth watched, surprised, as Temperance talked animatedly, a huge smile slowly lighting up her usually reserved features. It seemed as if she was actually…Happy. Not because she was talking about gruesome murders, but because she was talking about her purpose. This future of hers as a forensic anthropologist. She was looking forward to it, working hard towards it.

"So that's your thing," he said, cutting her off from a long rant on the book on forensic anthropology from the library she'd read last weekend.

Temperance's eyebrows drew together in confusion and she looked at him in bewilderment, as he knew she probably would. "Excuse me?" she asked, still somehow sounding formal despite the two of them just sitting in his car in his grandfather's driveway.

"Bones," he elaborated. "That's your thing. The thing that gets you going. It's what you want to be."

She was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was unusually soft. "I want to find out the truth," she said, eyes not meeting his as she stared past his shoulder and out his window. "These people…They can't be identified like any other victim. They're just…Gone. And it takes a long time for someone to reach that stage of decomposition. So, their families - loved ones - are just sitting at home, wondering where they are, what they're doing, if they're okay. And some, the more practical ones, would know that there was no way someone could survive that long. Others would hold on to their hopes. But all of them would want to know what really happened. They'd want to get some peace, to understand."

Booth frowned as he watched her. He couldn't help but think that she wasn't just talking about her passion for anthropology anymore. There was a quiver to her voice that he probably wouldn't have caught if he weren't so used to her, if he wasn't so…Familiar with her, he supposed. There was a sort of ancient sadness there that definitely didn't belong to the mind and body of a fourteen year old.

She blinked suddenly, as if realizing she'd said too much, and her guard was up. "That is, as you called it, what gets me going," she said, and her voice was back to being icy.

He sighed, thinking that with Temperance, it was as if he'd take one step forward and two steps back. She confused him all the time, and it was driving him crazy.

"Can we get going now?" she asked impatiently. "I don't want to get home later than I already am." Underneath her breath, she muttered, "I should've just taken the bus."

As he pulled out of the driveway, and sneaking peeks at her sideways, he couldn't help but smile to himself as he contemplated his new, strikingly stubborn friend. _I wouldn't have her any other way_.

He drove all the way to McCallum Street, which he wasn't really familiar with, where a bunch of plain single story houses stood. He parked a few feet away from the driveway of one of the houses in the middle - 2019 McCallum Street - with a small, dry yard and a rusty fence surrounding it.

He turned his head to watch Temperance fumble with her jacket and her bag. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bones," he called out with a smile as soon as she unclasped her seatbelt.

She froze completely, and stayed that way for a few seconds, before turning her head sharply to glare coldly at him. "_What_ did you just call me?" she asked, shooting daggers with her eyes.

Even after over a month of knowing her, and spending hours with just her alone on Fridays and Saturdays, he still wasn't used to that glare. He was starting to think he never would get used to it.

But he still hid his flinch, smiled innocently at her and explained, "Well, you're gonna be a forensic anthropo-whatchamacallit-"

Temperance cut him off with a stern, "Forensic _anthropologist_."

He continued as if he hadn't heard her, "-so I decided to give you a nickname. 'Temperance' is a mouthful and you won't let me call you 'Tempe'. 'Bones' seemed like a perfect nickname."

Temperance stared at the man - the boy, she corrected herself mentally - sitting before her. Her jaw had dropped open, and she was pretty sure she looked incredulous. Was he sane?

After a few moments spent collecting herself, she straightened herself out and said, "Don't do that. Don't call me that."

She glared at him once more and scrambled out of the car. She didn't need to be out here when Wade Dawson returned from work.

As she was walking away, she heard him calling out, infuriatingly enough, "Goodnight, Bones!"

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading.<p>

Juliet.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Picks up literally one day after the last chapter.

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>February 9, 1991<em>

Booth frowned as he looked at the clock for what felt like the millionth time. It was nearing ten-thirty five, and Temperance was still not here yet. Temperance had managed to keep him on his toes around her, that was for sure, but the one constant was her punctuality. She'd even commented once on how she detested tardiness.

She had been tutoring him for weeks now - this would be their tenth session together - and she'd always managed to ring the doorbell at exactly the time they'd agreed on. She had never been late before.

Now she was nearly forty minutes late? No, Booth didn't buy just 'sleeping in' - and it wasn't just because the first Saturday she'd showed up at his house, he had still been sleeping in and she'd seethed and fumed, going on a rant for hours about how she wasn't going to wait around for some 'lazy adolescent boy to wake up from his sexually stimulated dreams of blonde cheerleaders'. Her words. She was still mad at him the coming Monday, and when he'd snapped at her and asked if she'd ever slept in before, she'd told him no. "It messes up my whole sleeping pattern. A very bad habit. You shouldn't indulge in it, either," she'd told him, voice icy.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

"Tempe still not here?" Pops asked, as he came into the kitchen with a basket of laundry. Booth looked over at him and shook his head, still marveling at the strange affection his grandfather has for Temperance.

It seemed to him as though the odd relationship wasn't one-sided. To this day, Temperance wouldn't let him or Jared call her 'Tempe'. Only Pops was allowed that honor. He didn't know why, and he didn't question it.

He had his own nickname for her. It wasn't a common nickname. Hell, he wasn't sure anyone in the world had it. He was pretty proud of it, and thought it fitted her. He wasn't going to call her anything but 'Bones' from now on. It was one of '_their'_ things, he'd make sure of it.

The clock struck eleven before he grabbed his keys off the counter and hopped off his seat. "I'm gonna go check on Bones," he told Pops.

"Bones?" Pops repeated confusedly, peering at his grandson from over the rim of his paper.

Booth nodded, realizing that Pops hadn't ever heard Bones' new nickname yet. "Yeah. You know, Temperance," he said, and Pops nodded as if that explained everything. "I'll be back in a bit, okay? You want me to get anything from the store while I'm out?"

"Naw, I'll be fine," Pops said, waving him away as he continued reading his paper.

Booth would've just called Temperance but she didn't have a cell phone and had refused to give him her home number - "My…Parents don't like it when people call my house," she'd said, and it had sounded odd to him even then.

He had just opened the front door when he saw her, standing there on his porch, one hand raised, poised to ring the doorbell. She looked…Haggard. Instead of standing tall like usual, she was slightly hunched over. Her clothes were thick, which wasn't so odd considering the winter weather, but they were rattier than usual - olive green sweater, thick but loose pants, a scarf tied around her neck…Her book bag seemed to weigh her down even more, and her other arm was wrapped around her stomach.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, concern lacing his tone.

Even in pain - complete, mind-numbing pain - she managed a glare in his direction. It wasn't that she was irritated with him, per se, she just didn't want him to ask questions and find out. With his strangely precise intuitiveness, it was only a matter of time before he did find out. She knew that.

It was probably a bad idea for her to allow him to become her friend. Even if she was more than just a little certain that he had pure intentions - he wasn't another Andy Fluger, in other words - she didn't need him or anyone else to find out about her situation.

"I'm fine," she snapped at him, pushing past him as gently as she could to avoid any pain from intensifying. It was far too soon for that.

Booth closed the door behind her, taking her book bag from her. "Well, you're an hour late," he pointed out unnecessarily. "I was worried."

"I'm not incompetent, Booth," she said, snatching her bag from him. "I can carry my own bag, and I'm perfectly capable of telling time."

He felt irritation setting in at the way she was acting. She had been the one who was late, without even the decency to call and tell him so that he wouldn't get worried, and now she was acting all high and mighty? Oh, ho, he didn't think so!

"Whoa, I was only trying to be nice!" he gestured towards her bag.

She scoffed, which only served to kick his irritation up a notch. "Well, good for you. Now let's move on and get this over with, shall we?" she dumped her bag on the couch and sat down on it. Even in his annoyed state of mind, he couldn't help but notice that she sat gently, her face as blank as possible and her lips in a straight line as if she was fighting a wince of pain.

"Aren't you going to tell me why you're late?" he prodded on, plopping down on the couch next to her.

"No."

"It's proper manners to at least call and tell me you were gonna be late," he said, watching her take out her books and pen.

"Funny that _you_ should be lecturing _me_ about manners," she huffed at him. Giving him another icy glare, she spat, "Get your books out, Booth. I don't have all day."

He scowled in her direction but grabbed his books off the coffee table anyway. "You were the one who was late," he pointed out. "Least you could do is tell me why."

She slammed her book close and turned to give him one of the coldest glare she could muster. Judging from the slightly shocked expression on his face, she'd succeeded. A slightly shocked expression from Seeley Booth was like a cower of fear from anyone else.

"For your information, Booth, I do have a life outside school and tutoring you," she said, and her words came out sounding more like a snarl than anything else. "I'm sorry if you think I'm some sort of a hallucination that appears whenever you need help for schoolwork and then disappear right after as if my entire life revolves around you, but that just simply isn't true. Now, I want to get back to studying, then I want to get back to my life."

He rolled his eyes a little at her attitude but merely shook his head at her and went back to his book. _She was probably watching some sort of documentary on the evolution of mankind or whatever, and didn't want to miss it._

An hour and a half went by without a hitch - she was sort of nice and he was sort of not-so-irritated, but they kept cordial and studied as if she were a thirty-something teacher and he was the reluctant student. It was awkward and unpleasant and uncomfortable - all the things that their friendship wasn't supposed to be.

Even in the beginning, when they couldn't really stand to be around each other, things had never been _awkward_. They'd been at ease, bantering with each other, biting each other's heads off, unafraid to really get in each other's spaces and not back down from an argument. It was as if they'd known each other for years, and knew exactly which buttons to push. So they weren't the best of friends - there was just something familiar about each other, as if they'd known each other forever instead of a few days.

But now it was especially strange because they'd evolved. In the mere month that they'd come to know each other, their relationship had quickly evolved from one of reluctant study-buddies to friends.

He was even secure enough to admit to himself - in his mind where no one could hear, of course - that he had a tiny bit of a crush on her. Nothing could come out of it, and he didn't want anything to come out of it. Really. He had Katie and while he didn't love Katie, she was still a pretty good girlfriend.

Temperance was just…She'd taken him off guard. Here she was, a tiny, frail-looking girl two years his junior who came into his life looking as awkwardly nervous as she probably felt. She was brilliant and witty when she connected even a little to the rest of the world and she had this…Innocently pretty look about her that he couldn't ignore.

So it was understandable that while he was annoyed at her for her attitude and plain rudeness, he was also certain that something was wrong still. He was, also, quite upset that their friendship had appeared to completely disappear for some odd reason.

_On the defensive_, he noted as his mind thought back to the way she was acting. It was as if there was something she didn't want him to know and as a way to hide it from him, she'd chosen to be uncharacteristically intentionally mean to him.

He sighed to himself as he made up his mind to broach the subject. He knew she would be defensive again. Hell, she'd probably even insult him where it hurt the most, then storm out of here. She'd be angry with him, that was for sure. But he wasn't the type of guy to just let things go, especially not when they concern his gut instincts so strongly.

Just as he opened his mouth to ask her, Temperance closed the book she was reading from as she'd waited for him to finish the Trig questions she'd circled for him to do. "Could I use your bathroom?" she asked, looking at him for the first time in nearly two hours. Even so, she wouldn't really meet his eyes.

He nodded, swallowing a little as he caught sight of those wide baby blues. "Sure," he managed to say. "It's right up the stairs, to the left."

She barely smiled as she thanked him, then hopped on her feet to go up the stairs. He watched her leave the room, eyes trained on her back the whole time. With sharp eyes, he noted that she was still moving with a slightly hunched back and she still walked gently as if trying not to jostle anything.

His eyebrows furrowed together, trying to understand what was going on with her. If something were wrong, would she tell him? She would, wouldn't she? They'd become fairly close friends over the course of the last few weeks.

Then again…Who knew? She was a very private person, with a very private life. They had never really discussed their family lives before - she knew about Jared and about Hank and had even spent time with the three of them together. But she didn't know about his mom or his dad, or why he lived with Hank. No one did, but Booth had never told Temperance about it either.

Temperance, on the other hand, refused to speak about her personal life at all. She never answered any of his questions about her parents, or if she had any siblings. She wasn't one to be discreet or anything and had flat out told him the first time he asked that she was never going to answer. She just didn't want to discuss her family with anyone.

Sighing, he went to start on the next question. So they weren't the best of friends. That shouldn't bother him. And he shouldn't pry into her life, either - he knew he'd hate it if someone were to try and pry into _his_ life.

He groaned when the ink of his pen ran out. He scribbled furiously on the side of the page, but only a few, faint and broken lines appeared. He threw the pen aside in frustration and went to search for another one. He couldn't find any but Temperance's, and he didn't want to touch her things. God only knew how touchy she was about other people touching her things.

He placed his book aside and stood up, stretching as he walked up the stairs. Maybe he would check and see why on earth Temperance had stayed in the bathroom for the past fifteen minutes.

Temperance stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, the square glass hanging right above the sink. She had removed the scarf she'd gotten from a friend of hers in one of her past foster homes - a rare thing, to have a friend in the system, and Bailey had been a true blessing for the several weeks they'd been together.

Now she stood in Booth's bathroom, staring at the ugly, purplish-blue bruises surrounding her neck. Against the pale white of her skin, the color stood out garishly, and it made her wince.

It wasn't the worst of her injuries. Not by a long shot. And neither were the other bruises marring the rest of her body today. But it was still an injury. Another one she had to hide.

She was fourteen years old. Fifteen, in July this year. She had four and half years left to go before she was eighteen and allowed to legally leave the foster system. It didn't even matter that she was two grades above her, and that she would be graduating high school at the age of sixteen. She would be in college, but still in the system as far as the court was concerned.

It was a good thing that Northwestern was in Chicago - she was relieved to not have to go to some crappy community college instead. She was going to go to Northwestern, get a degree in forensic anthropology and leave Chicago and all the bad memories behind. She would leave, and get her Masters and her PhD. She was going to be renowned for her work, and she was going to make a name for herself.

And one day, she was going to come back to Chicago. She was going to stroll down the street, maybe even go down to her old house she'd lived in for the first twelve and a half years of her life. She would take it all in and smile for the first time in a long time in Chicago.

She dropped her eyes from the mirror, not wanting to look at her reflection any longer, and turned on the faucet. She'd been in the bathroom for quite some time now, having lost track of time, and she needed to get back down to the living room before Booth gets any more suspicious than he already was.

A knock at the door startled her, and she jumped, spraying a little water on the front of her shirt. "Bones, you in there?" she heard, and rolled her eyes.

It's already been a day and she couldn't stand that nickname. She wondered how long he was going to insist on calling her that. She was seriously going to make these tutoring sessions hell for him if he was going to continue calling her 'Bones' each and every time he spoke to her, as if that was her given birth name.

She stalked over to the bathroom door and yanked it open. "Don't call me 'Bones'," she snapped at him, not realizing at first that his eyes had widened in horror. "And excuse me if I wanted a little privacy, Booth!"

When he just continued to gape at her, she glowered at him. "What's the matter with you!"

Booth felt his mouth go dry at the sight of her neck. _So _that_ was why she had been wearing that scarf the whole time she'd been inside_. Pops had cranked the heater and he'd wondered if she'd felt too warm wearing that inside but she'd merely snapped at him to mind his own business when he'd asked.

"What…What's on your neck, Bones?" he asked, and his voice sounded gruff and angry even to him.

"What do you _mean_ what's on my…?" Temperance's hand had flown up to her neck, and touched it. She winced when she felt bare skin and painful bruises, her eyes widening in horror when she realized that she'd forgotten to put her scarf back on before opening the door to snap at Booth.

_He'd seen the bruises_.

Panicking, she froze and locked her horrified eyes with his angry ones. The two of them stared at each other, both uncertain of how to move past this.

He wanted to know what had happened to her - those bruises, it looked like someone had strangled her. How? Why?

She, on the other hand, just wanted to take back the last few minutes.

"Bones-" he started, and she moved.

She scrambled backwards into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. Stumbling backwards, she blindly made her way to the bathtub, and sat down gingerly on the edge. She bent over too soon and cried out in pain at the sharp stabbing feeling in her ribs.

"Temperance, open the door!" she heard Booth call out, and squeezed her eyes shut. Booth's words were so much like his. It brought her back so vividly to last night, to the violence of it all, the screaming and pleading. It sent shivers down her spine and had her body shaking.

"Temperance, please!" Booth pleaded, pounding on the door. He was glad that Pops had gone out for groceries a half hour ago. He couldn't have explained this to his grandfather if he tried. "I'm not going to hurt you, Bones. Please? I just…I want to talk. I…Please?"

She took deep breaths, just like her mother used to tell her to do every time she was scared or anxious. '_Deep breaths, baby girl, and just remember that you're going to be okay_.'

She stood up slowly and made her way to the door. She pressed one hand on the door, and let her forehead drop on the cool wood. She could hear Booth still pleading for her to open the door.

"I swear I won't…I won't hurt you, Bones. And I won't do anything you don't want me to do," he promised, trying to let it show through his words how sincere he was. He knew that she had to have been scared and worried and fearful. Hell, he had been the same way when it was him in her position.

"Please."

Temperance took another deep breath before letting her free hand grip the doorknob. She gripped it tightly for a few seconds before taking a leap of faith and twisting it. She opened the door a small crack, and Booth understood it to mean that she didn't want to come out - she wanted him to come inside.

He slid inside carefully, easily, and shut the door behind him. His eyes were locked on her eyes, which surprised her because she'd thought he would've been riveted by the ugly bruises covering her neck.

"Bones," he whispered, and his voice was so full of emotions that it choked her up emotionally. "What happened to you?" He stepped closer to her, and she backed up almost instinctually. "Shh, it's okay," he murmured, his brown eyes locked on her wide baby blues. "It's okay."

He took another step towards her, and almost smiled when she didn't step back from him. He stepped as close to her as possible, just two inches away from her, and lifted his hand to her neck. Very gently, he brushed the back of one finger along one indentation of purple bruise. It was very clear that the bruises were imprints of someone's hand squeezing her neck tightly.

"Who did this to you?" he whispered, horrified eyes taking in the scene before him.

Temperance didn't answer his question. Instead, she gazed at him for a very long time. She gazed at him as he helped her put on some lotion on the bruises, she gazed at him as he helped her put her scarf back on, and she gazed at him as he led her out of the bathroom and into the kitchen for some hot cocoa.

"You're nice," she blurted out, as they sat together at the kitchen counter.

His head jerked up, startled by her sudden proclamation. "That was…Random," he chuckled. "But thanks. I guess."

She shrugged, blushing slightly. "I'm just saying that I didn't think you would be. Nice, I mean," she added.

He looked at her, hurt. "What, you mean when you slammed the door in my face? Temperance, I'd never…Hurt you. Or do anything to intentionally upset you. You know that, right?" he pressed.

She smiled a little at him. "I know," she nodded in acknowledgement. "But I didn't mean just now. Just now I panicked, and I'm sorry. I meant when we first met. You are a very typical male, at first glance. Popular, overly cocky, overly driven by testosterone…Very alpha male."

His eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "Alpha male?" he questioned over the rim of his cocoa mug.

She nodded. "Yes. You know, always thinking that he's the leader of everyone around him. Territorial, cocky, hard-headed, Neanderthal-"

"Okay, seriously…What's with the verbal attack?" he scowled at her.

She ignored him and continued, "-protective, kind, loyal, fair…Always there to help others," she said, a slow smile spreading across her lips as she lifted her gaze and locked eyes with Booth. "An Alpha male is, by definition, a man better than all the others. I was merely stating that despite some of your less desirable traits, you are…The best man I'd ever met."

The smile that spread across his lips matched hers, only his was more mischievous somehow. Cheekier. "The best man you've ever met, huh?" he asked, his tone just a tad smug. He sat a little straighter and rolled his shoulders.

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and this is the 'cocky' part I was talking about," she said dryly.

They shared a laughing, smiling, happy moment before his expression grew serious once more. "Bones…You never answered my question," he said, more of a statement than a question.

She grew silent, too, her eyes falling back to the counter top. Her forehead creased, with a tiny indentation between her eyes, and she adopted an expression on her face that was so serious, so contemplative, the counter might as well had been that disgusting frog they'd dissected on Monday.

"I know," she said finally, taking another small sip of delicious hot cocoa. "And I don't think I will."

"Bones…"

She lifted her head to look at him and he was struck by the raw emotions swimming in her eyes. He had never seen her that…_Vulnerable_ before. Even in the bathroom upstairs, she had a certain armor, a certain defense wall, to keep everyone out. Even him.

"I'm just not ready, okay?" she said, her voice small. "I don't want to talk about my life, or how screwed up it is. I just can't. Maybe someday I will, I don't know. Right now, I just can't."

He nodded, eyes kind. "I can understand that," he assured her. "We all have some things we need to keep to ourselves. But I'm here. If you want to talk."

She gave him a brief smile. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading.<p>

Juliet.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>February 11, 1991<em>

Booth was in a bad mood. He had woken up twenty minutes later than usual - that had made him late for school. He hadn't had enough time for a shower, he'd spilled coffee all over his Flyers t-shirt and hadn't had enough time for breakfast. His car had broken down before he'd even turned off the street - he'd had to use his old bike.

Now he was barely chaining his bike while trying to make it to class before the second bell.

"I'm here! I'm here!" he yelled, skidding to a stop right inside the classroom, gripping onto the edge of the teacher's desk to keep himself from falling face first onto the floor.

Mr. Haversham stared at him, a little irritated at having his class interrupted. "Good for you," he said dryly. "You're five seconds late, so we'll make an exception. I trust you can find your own seat?"

Booth flushed but nodded his head, straightening himself up. He hitched the strap of book bag higher up on his shoulder and made his way towards the bench he shared with Temperance. He could just envision her, sitting there with that focused look in her eyes, her face an expressionless mask. It was kinda cute, in a way. That little squiggle between her eyes, that pout on her lips she didn't even know was there…It made him smile every time he saw it.

When he looked up, however, he saw that the bench was empty. Temperance wasn't there. She wasn't busily scribbling notes in the margins of her textbook even though she probably knew more about mitosis than Mr. Haversham. She wasn't biting her lower lip in concentration. She wasn't giving him a condescending look that just screamed 'if you hadn't pressed the snooze button…'

"…four stages of mitosis. Can anyone-"

"Mr. Haversham?"

The teacher swiveled around to glare at Booth for interrupting his lecture. "Is there any particular reason why you're rooted to the spot, Booth?" he asked in an exasperated tone.

"Well, I was just wondering…Where's Bo-Uh, I mean, where's Temperance?" he nodded in the direction of the empty bench.

Mr. Haversham shrugged. "She wasn't feeling well today. The office has been informed of it. Now, please, take a seat. This really isn't any of your business and you're disrupting my class," he used that tone that teachers used that said 'if you continue to annoy me, you're gonna be in detention for a month' so Booth merely nodded and took his seat.

Unlike Mr. Haversham, Booth was worried about Temperance. She hadn't seemed sick on Saturday. You know, other than the strangle marks on her neck and whatever it was about her torso that was bothering her (if he had to warrant a guess, thanks to his oh-so-wonderful childhood with his father, he'd have to say she had bruised or broken ribs).

The point was, after their little revelation in the bathroom, and their subsequent 'make-up cocoa' in the kitchen, things had seemed alright between the two of them. Temperance had even seem slightly happier. Not jovial or anything, but better than she had been when she'd first arrived.

She had stayed longer than needed - they'd watched Die Hard 2 on video, Pops had returned and wouldn't let her go until they'd all had his grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, she'd played Scrabble with all three Booth men and kicked their asses and had even stayed long enough for an early dinner. It was pizza, but it was still dinner and it had been great.

He had kept her injuries a secret from Pops and Jared even though he felt guilty doing so - she had been adamant that things would spiral downwards and get even worse than they were now if anyone else were to find out, and he hadn't wanted that for her.

He knew that fear alone was reason enough for victims of abuse to keep secret. That was what he believed her to be - the victim of abuse. He didn't know who, though he suspected her parents, and he didn't know why but there was ever rarely a why that made sense.

But he also knew that most times that fear was based on something real. It might be complicated and messy and just plain unfair but it was real.

If she thought that things would get worse if anyone else found out, he wasn't going to betray her trust. He would be loyal to her, and let her know that he was a great friend, and eventually she'd come around to trusting him.

And when she did, he would let her know that he would do anything to help her. He would let her know that he would be there for her.

Right now, though, all he needed to do was keep her secret.

And worry, apparently.

Because most of the day, he was unable to concentrate. He kept picturing Temperance at home, cowering in her room in fear or getting strangled again or something else that was equally horrid.

The worst thing about having gone through a situation similar to hers was that he could picture it in his mind - vividly.

"Hey, man," Tucker Jones, one of his teammates and usual friend, greeted him during lunchtime. "What's up?"

Booth grunted in reply, distractedly biting into his apple and spinning his lemonade bottle cap with his free hand. He could remember Temperance lecturing him about eating a fresh fruit once a day to keep himself healthy. It had been during one of their 'impromptu' movie stay-overs after their Saturday tuition sessions. It was pretty much a non-spoken agreement every week that they just hung out after tuition, though they always either acted as if they didn't know she would just stay after tuition, or they'd ignore the fact that she was supposed to be just there to tutor him and acted as if she was over to hung out.

He felt an arm drape over his shoulder and jerked in surprise in response. He looked up to see Katie looking at him in hurt. "Have you been listening to a word I've been saying?" she asked.

He scrunched his brows together and stared at her in confusion. When had she gotten here? "Uh…" he trailed off unintelligibly.

She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Guess not," she answered sarcastically. She snatched her hands back from him and crossed her arms. "What, can't focus that your slutty mistress isn't here?" she spat out venomously.

Booth's eyes darkened in anger as he glared in Katie's direction. "Damn it, Katie! Why-why do you say things like that? Huh? Is it some sort of a pleasure thing for you? You get a kick out of insulting others?"

Katie, whose eyes had widened at his sudden outburst, leaned back a little in shock. "What the hell is your problem, Seeley?" she hissed.

"My problem is that my friend is out of school, sick or something, and you're being a completely insensitive b…_Person_," he stressed the word, not wanting to use a derogatory word to describe her though from the anger flitting across her face, he could tell she knew anyway. "She's not my

'_mistress_'. I just like her, okay? She's nice, she's helping me not to flunk and get benched, and she's sick. So just back the hell of, Katie."

He didn't feel so good sitting there with the entire table staring at him, waiting for another outburst. He didn't feel so good with Katie sitting next to him, looking like she was about to commit murder. And he definitely didn't feel hungry anymore, if he even was to begin.

So he slammed his half-eaten apple back on his tray and stood up. "I'm goin' to the gym, throw a few baskets," he muttered to no one in particular, grabbing his tray and stalking over to the front of the cafeteria to dump it in the trash can.

He was still pissed off at Katie for saying those things about Temperance, and steamed about the fact that he couldn't just damn well call Temperance to check if she was fine. She didn't have a cell phone - he'd asked on Saturday. And she didn't like giving away her house phone number because her parents 'didn't like their peace disturbed'. Whatever.

And it wasn't like he could just show up at her house, you know? He didn't want to make things worse for her. If her parents were home, he didn't want to say the wrong thing or ask the wrong thing or even somehow make things more horrible for her than they already were just by showing up.

People like them, the abusers who could lay a hand on their child and think that it's their God given right to do so…They're monsters, and they didn't have a reason for whenever they did it. Just excuses that were pure crap.

He'd learnt _that_ a long time ago.

So, to him and to Temperance, it would be a concerned friend coming over to check up on her since she missed school. To give her the assignments she needed to complete because she was one of those people who loved schoolwork and thrived to get As even for simple, everyday homework. To tell her to get well soon because it was boring in Biology without her muttering under her breath about what an idiot Mr. Haversham was and how she could teach the course better than he could.

To _them_, her parents, it would be a person outside their four walls who could potentially come into knowing the truth about what went on inside it. It would be an excuse to beat her up or strangle her or whatever just because they were afraid. Or angry over something else. Or having a bad day.

He wasn't going to make things worse for Temperance.

So the only thing he could do was nothing.

And it damn well _sucked_.

"Hey, Booth!" he heard someone's voice echoing in the huge, empty gym. He didn't have to turn around to know it was Tucker. He ignored him, just continued dribbling the ball, eyes fixed on the basket.

His friend waited until he delivered the perfect shot before running in and stealing the ball from him. Booth panted slightly, hands on his hips, as he watched Tucker dribble and shoot. Perfect shot.

"You alright, man?" another one of his friend and teammate, Jonathan Daniels, asked, leaning against the wall next to the basket pole.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered dismissively.

John raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he said skeptically. "Because you've been acting weird all day, dude. You were spacing out all over…And what was that back there? Blowin' up on your girl?"

Booth shot him an incredulous look. "You're blaming _me_?" he asked, stunned. "You were right there, sitting at that table, hearing what she said…And you're seriously accusing me of being the bad guy?" He shook his head, snatching the ball back from Tucker. "That's messed up."

"What's messed up is you choosing tutor girl over your own girlfriend," Tucker shrugged, pushing up his sleeves to his elbows. "But I'm just saying…"

Booth rolled his eyes. "And I'm just saying…I'm not okay with people treating my friends like crap. Okay? And Temperance…She's my friend. You might not get it, but I do. She's a good person. Awkward, but nice," he stated, a small chuckle escaping his lips at the thought of her inability to be social.

John scoffed. "You're a junior-"

"-So is she."

John ignored that. "Fine. You're a _normal_ junior. She's some geeky kid with an IQ so high they don't know what to do with her. You're a jock. A team player. She's…Some kid with sad excuse for a social life…Dude, this thing you've got with her? This 'friendship' or whatever you wanna call it? It's social suicide."

Booth stared at him, with an annoyed, disbelieving expression on his face. "Social suicide? Daniels, we're in high school. It's gonna end in two years. Then we're all gonna go our separate ways and never think about each other again until our ten year reunion," he turned his back on Tucker and John, poising the ball for another shot. "Excuse me for not caring a helluva lot about what kind of detrimental effects hanging out with a great chick is gonna be for my social status in friggin' _high school_."

There was a few moments of silence as Tucker and John watched Booth practicing on his own. Then John spoke up. "Well, you might not care two years later, or five years down the road or, hell, even longer…But you've still got two years left here, Booth. Two years. That's a damn long way to go if you're one of _them_, and not one of _us_."

They left him in peace after that.

The rest of his day went by in a blur - even practice wasn't all that great. Katie refused to speak to him, as if he'd committed some heinous crime, and had all her cheerleader friends looking at him as if he were some sort of a vermin. He swore they'd intentionally sneer at him every chance they could. Coach was extra hard on everyone, and John and Tucker kept reminding him with meaningful glances and mouthed 'I told you so's every single time one of the cheerleaders sneered his way or try out a cheer made up on the spot about how much of a jerk Seeley Booth was.

By the time he reached home, at almost seven pm, he was exhausted from running laps and worrying about Temperance and being irritated by Tucker and John and Katie.

"Hey, Shrimp!" Pops greeted him cheerfully. "Want some dinner? The newly-Ms.-again Brewer down the street brought over some of her famous lasagna earlier today. It's delicious!"

Booth rolled his eyes at that. "Uh, no thanks, Pops," he made a face. "I'm not really hungry right now." Who was he kidding? He was starved! But Pops had the uncanny ability to just know when something wasn't right just by two seconds with you in the room. Temperance had likened it to his own ability to read people. He didn't need an interrogation or a psych evaluation by his own grandfather to top everything off that had gone wrong today. "Maybe later."

"Maybe later?" Pops repeated in a scandalous tone. "Boy, you're always hungry. What's the matter?"

He shrugged. "Nothing, Pops." At his grandfather's disbelieving look, he widened his eyes to portray a look of innocence. "Nothing!" he stressed. "I'm just…Tired from practice and stuff. Look, I gotta get a shower. I'll get some dinner in a while. Thanks, Pops."

He turned and scrambled up the stairs as fast as he could - there was no use standing around and waiting for Pops to see the anxiety in his eyes. He knew Pops could - it was how he learnt to read people so well. His own dad was good at it whenever he was sober, but Pops was the real reason.

Jared was in his room when he got up there, rifling through his old comic book collection. "What the hell are you doing in my room?" he demanded, hands at the hips as he glared at his brother.

Jared jumped a little but shot him a cheeky grin nonetheless. "Trying to find something in here that's even a little bit interesting to play with," he told Booth. "You're boring, you know that?"

Booth rolled his eyes, strode over, grabbed Jared by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him out. "Don't touch my stuff," he told him, and slammed the door in his face. _Well, maybe Bones and I have something in common about that whole 'no touching' thing_.

Of course, this only served to feed his suspicion that she was in an abusive household - he had gotten into the habit of protecting what little possessions he had, keeping them to himself only, due to his father's drinking problem.

His old man would come stumbling in through the door, rifling through his mom's stuff for something valuable to sell or pawn off. When he didn't get it from his mom, he'd turn to Booth. Jared was too young to have anything worth selling. Sometimes, when he was mad, he'd break Booth's things, too. Smash them, break them, tell him they were as worthless as he was.

Booth sunk down on his bed, exhaling loudly. He covered his face with his hands, closing his eyes tiredly. He stilled for a few moments before rubbing his hands down his face.

He straightened his spine and stretched, popping his joints. Thinking about his abusive past right now wasn't helping him calm down any.

He slid his shirt off and threw it into the clothes hamper, hastily grabbing a new set of clothes to change into before going into the bathroom to shower.

He was just getting out of the shower, his wife-beater slightly sticking to his body due to the water dripping down from his hair and neck, and running a towel through his short, wet hair plastered to his forehead, when he bumped into Pops in the hallway.

"Pops!" he gasped, startled by his grandfather's appearance. Had his grandfather suddenly become stealthy or had he been so involved with his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed his surroundings?

Pops smiled at him, holding up the plate of lasagna. "I brought up some dinner for you," he told Booth. "It's not good skipping meals."

He gave Pops a brief smile and took the plate from him. "Thanks, Pops," he said, wincing internally at how desolate he sounded. _Way to rouse suspicion_, bud, he chastised himself.

Pops seemed to have his radar up pretty well because he straightened up, narrowing his eyes at Booth. "Everything okay, Shrimp?" he asked, a little prying tone in his voice. "School, basketball, friends?"

Booth nodded, turning away from Pops. "Yeah, everything's fine, Pops," he assured him, moving towards his bedroom. He could hear Pops following , just a few steps behind him.

"You sure?" Pops kept prying. "Teachers not giving you a hard time? Is it because you're worried about finals? It's still a few months away, Shrimp. You have time. And Temperance is really a smart young lady…" he trailed off, noticing how his grandson's back had stiffened at the mention of Temperance.

Once Booth had started moving again, his movements were jerky - he even managed to knock over his Chemistry textbook right off his desk and almost tripped over his baseball glove-shaped beanbag chair.

"It's about Temperance," Pops said, more of a statement than a question. "Isn't it? Did something happen?"

Booth took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The last thing he wanted was to blow up in Pops' face, but he was so wound up. Worrying himself sick over Temperance wasn't helping any, and neither was school today. Pops was just trying to help - he had to remember that.

"She's fine," he blurted out, turning around to give Pops his best smile. "I'm just…Everything's fine, Pops. Don't worry about it."

Everything was in a standstill for the next few moments as Pops stared him down, as if trying to get the truth out of him just by looking at him, or to determine as if he was lying.

Finally, Pops inhaled deeply and nodded. "Alright," he conceded. "Fine. But if you need anything…Just ask."

Booth nodded, still smiling as he watched Pops leave his room. "Thanks," he called out belatedly as Pops walked down the hallway. As soon as his grandfather was out of range, his smile dropped and his expression darkened.

_I hope you're in school tomorrow, Bones_.

* * *

><p>But Temperance <em>wasn't<em> at school the next day, or the next.

It was driving Booth absolutely insane not to know if she was fine. With each passing day, a new concern arose deep in the recesses of his mind and he couldn't help but wonder if she was really just having the flu - the story the school was told; he'd found out by charming the secretary at the office - or if something more was going on.

He was distracted all the time. He couldn't concentrate in class - so much so that he couldn't answer most of the questions on his Spanish pop quiz. He'd caused his team to lose in their hockey match during gym. And he was pretty sure that Katie was getting pissed off at him, though he hadn't really seen her all that much these past couple of days.

It sort of struck him odd how he was more concerned about Temperance than he was about Katie.

Then again, it didn't really mean anything…After all, Temperance was his friend. The best friend he'd ever had since James Parker in fifth grade. And she might be in trouble.

_Katie_ was just fine. Sulking, but fine.

It made sense that he'd worry over his best friend rather than the girl he'd been dating for just a barely two months.

"Temperance still not in school?" Pops questioned over dinner - chili this time.

Booth shook his head, staying silent. He'd cracked this morning, after Pops millionth pry. His grandfather had been smug about getting him to spill his guts, but it had turned into concern when he'd learnt that Temperance was absent from school.

Booth had just gotten home from practice so Pops hadn't had the chance to question him about Temperance until now.

"Don't worry, Shrimp," Pops told him reassuringly. "I'm sure she's fine. She'll be back before you know it."

Jared looked at Pops, his mouth full of chili. "Is Tempe Seeley's _girlfriend_?" he asked, dragging out the word teasingly.

Booth glared at him while Pops just chuckled. "Don't talk with your mouth full, bud," Pops advised him.

Booth smacked Jared on the shoulder - not roughly or anything. Just irritated with his brother. "She's my friend," he clarified. "That's all."

Jared rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he shrugged. "Danny said boys and girls can't be just friends. They gotta be kissing and stuff when they're together."

Yeah, he was gonna leave that up to Pops to explain it to Jared.

"Can I be excused? I've got homework," he said abruptly. The moment Pops nodded his head, he grabbed his bowl and made for the kitchen. The sooner he was alone, the better - he needed to think.

He pulled out his English Lit. assignment and plopped down at his desk, notebook and a copy of Romeo and Juliet in front of him. His mind was so scrambled he could hardly think, so he didn't really think he was going to be doing any homework any time soon. He just wanted to give the illusion of studying in case Pops came in to check on him.

He grabbed a pen from between his Chemistry textbook, tapping it furiously against the empty page of his notebook.

_What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?_

"Shrimp, you still studying?"

"Yeah, Pops. I've got a little work left."

"Don't stay up too late."

"I won't."

_What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?_

"Seeley, can you tell Pops I can stay up late? I wanna watch TV…"

"Go to bed, Jared. And Pops is in charge, not me."

_What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?_

"Seeley, it's past eleven. Go to bed soon."

"Okay."

_What do I do? What do I do, Bones? What do I do?_

His eyes fell onto the copy of Romeo and Juliet he'd had to buy for Lit. class. 'O, Romeo, Romeo. Where fore art thou, Romeo?'

_That's it!_ His mind mentally shouted at him. If he couldn't call Temperance, nor could he just show up at her door asking to see her for fear of her parents doing anything to hurt her like he suspected…Then maybe he could sneak in to see her?

It was nearly midnight, so her parents were probably asleep. And he could remember the way to her house from driving her home a few times before. It wouldn't be really all that hard to find her bedroom window, though he hoped he wouldn't get it wrong and accidentally knock on her parents' window and get them both in trouble.

He quietly snuck out of his room, checking on Jared and Pops. They were both sound asleep in their rooms. He knew for a fact that Pops was a heavy sleeper, so this would be easy. It wasn't as if his car made much noise anyway.

He grabbed his jacket and his keys and silently snuck down the hallway. The stairs were easy but the third step from the bottom was a little creaky. The front door was trickier - it squeaked every time it opened and it made a whiny, kinda screechy noise every time it closed.

He was as quiet as possible, sneaking into his car and checking the window to his grandfather's room every few seconds to make sure the light was still off and there was no one sticking their heads outside the window to see what the racket was all about.

The drive to Temperance's street took him a little over ten minutes. He tried calming himself down by remembering the conversations they'd had before driving around in his car. He liked taking her out - they'd go for pizza or frozen yogurt on Sundays, and sometimes when there was something good showing, they'd go to the movies. He was still trying to catch her up on the good movies, and the good music…It was proving harder than he originally thought since there were so many of them, and she wasn't very informed.

_Ah, here we are…McCallum Street_, he thought to himself, parking as far away as he could from the plain faded white house with the mailbox that read '2019'. He didn't want to raise suspicions - he was trying to sneak into another person's house at midnight, after all.

For a moment, he hesitated. Was this just plain insane? He _was_, technically, going to break into someone's house.

_Don't be ridiculous, Seeley_, his inner voice chided. _You're not _breaking_ into anything. You're just going to do that sneaking in thing…Boys do it all the time to see their girlfriends after dark. Not that she's my girlfriend, or that I want her to be. No matter how pretty her eyes are…Focus, dammit_!

He took a deep breath and turned off the engine, slipping his keys from the ignition and making sure that his car was covered enough in the shade of the trees that no one could point it out at first glance, especially in the dark like this.

He slipped out of his car and made his way towards number 2019, trying not to look conspicuous but still looking back over his shoulder once in a while. _Why have I never done this before_? A little experience would've helped him right about now.

He crept around the house, careful to stay hidden within the shadows of the trees and the walls. His head was hurting a little from all the eye squinting he was doing as he tried to differentiate which room was Temperance's. The house wasn't particularly big. In fact, it was pretty average-sized. He just had to figure out which one of the last three rooms were hers.

He'd already found the living room - that was the easiest. The TV had still been on, the light illuminating the entire room in an eerie, flickering, white glow. A forty-something man had been sound asleep on an armchair, snoring away disgustingly. That had to be Temperance's dad.

He passed on the first window - he could make out the faint outline of a fridge and a sink, so it had to be the kitchen. He moved on towards the second window, wincing slightly as he accidentally stepped on a twig, the sound incredibly loud in the midst of silence.

He gasped, ducking as the light of the second window was suddenly switched on. He threw his body to the ground and laid flat against it, cursing himself for his stupid idea. _Why doesn't this place have anything I could hide behind_! he grumbled silently.

He lifted his head just enough to see a middle aged woman in an oversized, ugly green nightgown getting out of the room, her back turned from the window. Thank God for that. He couldn't be seen due to the portion of the wall at the bottom of the window, but he didn't want to take any chances.

The woman went next door, and turned on the lights there, as well. He stayed silent and still, listening as he heard water rushing through pipes. That had to be the bathroom.

He held his breath as he heard the woman turn off the light in the other room and pad over back to her bedroom. He looked around frantically once more for a place to hide. Finding none, he resigned himself to just stay still and, hopefully, unnoticeable.

Thankfully, the woman switched off the light to her bedroom the moment she entered, and hadn't gotten the chance to look outside her bedroom window at all. He waited until she climbed into bed, and stayed still for the next five minutes. _Excruciating_.

Certain that the woman had fallen asleep once more, he carefully climbed back onto his feet. Bypassing the second window and the one next to it - the bathroom - he reached the last one.

_Alright_, he exhaled slowly. This was the last room. It had to be Temperance's.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

Juliet.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>February 13, 1991<em>

Booth scooted as close as possible to the window and squinted his eyes to look into the dark room. He couldn't see much, just the outline of a bed and a lump on top of it. He strained his eyes a little longer, to try and see if he could get anything else, but when he couldn't he gave up.

Biting his lip and craning his neck to look around him, to make sure there weren't any nosy neighbors or neighborhood cop patrol cars cruising about or vicious Rottweilers around, he considered his options.

He could go home, consider himself a total failure at having come _this_ close and chickening out at the last moment. After all, no one knew about his impromptu trip. No one knew he'd gone to check on Temperance.

Then again, he'd been worried out of his mind about her. He needed to know if she was okay. He knew her. Maybe not that well, but well enough to know that she wouldn't have let something as small and insignificant as a cold get to her. She wouldn't have missed out on school for that. She hated the other kids, simply because they were mean and cruel to her, but she loved studying. She would've toughened it out.

So, with bated breath, he held up his fist and knocked gently - and as quietly as possible so as not to disturb her mom two doors down - on the window.

After all, if this wasn't Temperance's room, or if he'd gotten the wrong house somehow or if her parents heard…The worst case scenario was he'd get himself hauled off back to Pops' by the cops, right?

Yeah. He was dead meat.

He was considering just bailing when he saw the lump on top of the bed move. Fighting his urge to bolt, he stood his ground and knocked gently on the window again.

The lump moved again, this time faster, as if the person laying on the bed had determined that the knock hadn't been just a figment of their imagination.

He watched with a keen eye as the figure stood on their feet and slowly approached the window, cautiously. He noted that the person hadn't switched on the light, which was sort of weird. _Maybe she didn't want to disturb her parents_, he thought.

He waited anxiously to see if he was either going to be seeing Temperance for the first time in three days or get the shock of his life when the person on the other side of the window started screaming about a stranger at the window.

A pale face appeared at the window, and though he couldn't really make out the features, two glowing orbs of blue shined, brighter than ever against the darkness. He sighed a breath of relief - he would recognize those vivid, almost electric icy blue eyes anywhere.

"Bones," he whispered. "It's me."

He watched as her pale face relaxed slightly. The window creaked open a little, and she stuck her face out. "Booth," she hissed. "What're you doing here? You're going to get in a lot of trouble if anyone catches you…"

He wasn't paying attention to her words, however. His eyes and attention were drawn to her face. Her bruised, marred face.

Her left eye was small, dark purple and black. There were small, slightly faded red cuts all over her ivory face. There was a faded, yellowish bruise on the side of her right cheek that looked as if it had been worse before.

"What…happened to you?" he managed to croak out.

Her eyes widened, as if she'd just remembered that she had a bruised face, and pulled back. The window slammed shut unexpectedly, causing him to rear back to avoid being hit in the nose.

_What the…_

He raised his fist and knocked gently on the window again. He could see Temperance still there, pressed against the window, her back to him. When she simply ignored him, he knocked again. "Bones, I'm not going to stop until you open the window again…" she still ignored him. "I'd rather not wake your parents up!"

_That_ made her move.

She scrambled to unlatch the window, and when she pushed it, he helped her pull the window open a little more so he could climb through.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, standing back so he could climb through without bumping into her - she would've stood her ground, like usual, but he would've brushed against her and her ribs were hurting like hell.

He shrugged, patting himself on the back once when he had both feet firmly on the ground of her room, having not made a single noise. "Climbing into your bedroom," he stated dryly.

"Yes. Why?" she asked in that familiar clueless tone of hers - he recognized it from when he tried to educate her in Star Wars.

He rolled his eyes. "Why? _Why_! I've been _worried sick_ about you for _days_, Bones. I was freakin' _going out of my mind_, and I couldn't call you, and I didn't want to just show up at your door in case your parents get angry and…" He halted to a stop, taking in a deep breath.

Temperance stared at him. He had dark bags underneath his eyes, as if he hadn't been sleeping well for a few days - his eyes were bloodshot, too. He looked downright haggard and, true to his claims, anxious as hell.

She stepped towards him, lifting her left hand and placing it on his chest, right above his heart. "Thank you," she murmured. She watched as his head snapped up, and his dark eyes bore into her own blue ones questioningly. "For caring enough to worry."

The corners of his mouth lifted up to form a small charm smile. "I care," he stated, as if to reassure her it was the truth. He kept his eyes locked on hers so she could see the raw truth in his eyes.

It didn't take long for her to smile, too.

"C'mere," he gently took her hand and led her to the bed, his eyes tracing her bruised face. They both sat down at the edge of her bed, and he raised his eye at how hard and uncomfortable it was.

He looked around the room, seeing how bare it was - she had a bed with a little nightstand next to it, a small dresser and an average sized desk. It was pretty bare, with white walls and no…Pictures or personal crap…Nothing.

He turned back to her, opening his mouth to comment on the emptiness. He saw the self-conscious look on her face, though, a soft pink blush coloring her cheeks. She rarely ever blushed.

He closed his mouth, resolving not to say anything.

He lifted her face up gently with his thumb and forefinger underneath her chin, smiling kindly at her. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked in a voice so soft, it was hardly even a whisper.

She shook her head immediately, eyes wide in fear. He nodded. "Okay, we won't talk about it," he promised. She nodded gratefully at him. "Will you let me look at your bruises?" he asked.

She drew back from him. "Booth…" she whispered, protesting.

"Hey, hey," he shushed her gently. "I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. I just want to make sure you're okay." She stayed still and didn't pull away when he pulled her back towards him, which he considered a victory. She still hesitated, though. "Please?"

She sighed, closing her eyes and nodding.

Booth examined her face first - the cuts were already healing up. The black eye, though, was still painfully, glaringly obvious. "I'll go get some ice for that," Booth promised.

Temperance took hold of his arm with both hands and pulled him back down. "No!" she hissed, her one good eye looking around the room wildly as if she expected someone to burst out from the walls.

Booth frowned at her. "Bones, if you don't put some ice on that, it's gonna start swelling," he admonished.

She gave him '_the look_' - the one that made him feel like an idiot every time. "I know that," she insisted. "But…you can't, okay? You just can't. I'll get in trouble."

He relaxed his muscles and allowed himself to be pulled back down on her bed. Now we're getting somewhere, he thought. "Your parents are asleep."

"My…Dad is a heavy sleeper. My _mom_ is the exact opposite. The slightest sound can wake her up," Booth wondered if she knew that she flinched when she called her parents 'mom' and 'dad'. Was it because she didn't want to call them her parents? Because of what they clearly did to her?

She sounded exhausted when she spoke again, "Let's just…Not, okay?"

He bit his lip and nodded. "Fine," he conceded reluctantly. "But I'm still gonna take care of you."

She frowned at him. "I'm not a damsel in distress," she warned him, which made him laugh humorlessly internally. Here she was, a girl with problems at home, with no way out and unable to tell anyone…She clearly _was_ a damsel in distress. Not that he would ever dare tell her that.

He sighed and shot her an honest look. "I'm not doing this because I think you're a damsel in distress," he rolled his eyes at her. "I'm doing this because you're Bones, and I'm Booth. I'm doing this because we…We have each other's backs. We're friends…Right?"

She felt a slow smile spreading across her lips as she stared at him, listening to him passionately telling her why he was going to help her. "Right," she agreed softly. "We're friends."

He smiled back at her. "I know you'd do the same for me," he admitted. "If it was me who was in trouble."

She nodded firmly. "Of course I would," she assured him, her tone almost defensive as if she was offended he'd think otherwise.

"So this is me, helping you out," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Because we're friends," she clarified, a small, almost coy smile still playing on her lips. At his nod, she said, "Because we're Booth and Bones."

He grinned at her, happy to see her using the nickname he'd come up for her. "Exactly."

She giggled a little, making sure that her voice was low and too quiet to be heard outside the room. Her cheeks hurt a little from smiling - her eye was throbbing and her cuts were stinging - but she hadn't smiled in so long…It felt good to be happy.

So she pushed the pain to the back of her mind, and allowed Booth to make her smile.

Booth chuckled quietly along with her, ducking his head to continue his assessment of her. He gasped when he saw her right wrist - there was a blackish blue bruise from her wrist to her thumb. "Well, it looks like you've just sprained it," he said, his voice restrained with the anger he could feel bubbling inside his chest.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," she shrugged, trying to downplay it. She could see how torn up he was that she was hurt - there was something in his eyes that told her it was more than just his natural urge to protect the people around him he cared for.

She wasn't particularly good with reading people. In fact, for as long as she could remember, she had been horrible at it. But with Booth…It was different somehow.

She knew that there was something…Something that just made this a little more personal to him. She was curious to know what it was, but she wasn't going to pry. That wasn't usually like her, but with her own jumble of secrets, she could understand if he wanted privacy.

Temperance made a vow not to ask Booth about the darkness she could see in his eyes unless he offered to tell her.

Booth sucked in a deep breath at her nonchalant statement. He knew she was lying. A sprained wrist always hurt. But she knew him; probably saw how wound up he was. She had a way of noticing little details about him that most other people couldn't catch.

He gently placed her wrist on her lap. "Keep it elevated," he instructed. "I have a first aid kit out in my car."

"Why do you have a first aid kit in your car?" she asked, confused.

He cleared his throat, looking away. "In case I get injured during practice."

She eyed him contemplatively. "Is it really the reason?"

_No_, he thought to himself. _I keep a kit in my car because I was so used to having it with me all the time - you never know when you need a safe place to hide, tend to your wounds_…

But he couldn't say that, so instead, he shrugged and said, "Yeah. Sure." She didn't look like she believed him, but thankfully, she let it go.

He smiled, a little forced, and stood, stretching. "I'm going to my car. It's right around the corner," he promised.

Temperance looked at him warily. "Please be careful," she pleaded in a soft whisper.

He nodded, smiling a little at her. "Sure, Bones. No worries," he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her sweet smelling hair. He wasn't really sure what he was doing - even bruised and beaten, she seemed to cloud his judgment.

He pulled back, slight pink coloring his cheeks. He couldn't meet Temperance's wide, shocked eyes. "Be right back," he mumbled, making his way to her window.

* * *

><p>"Thanks," Temperance murmured, watching as Booth fixed her wrist in a blue elastic bandage sling.<p>

He nodded his head, a look of concentration on his face as he finished up. "No problem, Bones," he assured her. "Are there any other…Bruises you haven't shown me?" he asked, lifting his head to look into her eyes.

She bit her lip, shaking her head. He raised an eyebrow at her - she'd ducked her head and her long, reddish-brown hair was forming a curtain around her face. She looked guilty about something. He knew she wasn't very big on lying.

"Bones…" he trailed off warningly.

She huffed angrily, rolling her eyes at him. "I might've…Hurt my ribs a little," she admitted, blushing hotly in embarrassments. "I fell, okay!"

He had a disbelieving look on his face. "Mm-hmm," he didn't sound like he believed her, either. He paused, hesitating for a moment. "Can I see?"

She blushed darker. "Booth…"

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm just…Did you treat it?" She shook her head. "Then I will. Come on, Bones…I promise it won't hurt. Much."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Fine. But you can't try and get in my jeans."

He rolled his eyes at that. "It's 'get in my _pants'_, Bones, and no, I won't," he looked distinctly hurt she'd even suggest it. "I'm not that kind of a guy. You know that."

She sighed, nodding her head. "Fine," her tone was a little more clipped than usual. It was embarrassing to have to go through all of this with the one friend she'd had in a long time.

She winced when she tried to straighten up to remove her shirt. Booth knelt down in front of her, "Let me help you," he whispered quietly.

They kept their eyes locked to one another, both blushing, as his hands went to the hem of her shirt, covering hers. They lifted her shirt up together, ruffling her silky hair in the process. She wouldn't meet his eyes as the shirt dropped on the bed next to her.

Like a gentleman - as gentlemanly as a teenaged boy could be, anyway - he kept his eyes away from her chest and focused on the angry redness of her ribs. "Whoa," he inhaled sharply. "That looks like it hurts…Is that why you were hunched over when you came over during the weekend?"

"Yes," she replied, keeping her voice distant. She didn't need him to know just how affected she was by her injuries - or by the fact that she was practically half-naked in front of him, wearing nothing but her butterfly-print bra on top.

He took out some athletic tape to help tape up her ribs. "Well, I'm leaving an ice pack here with you, for your wrist and your ribs," he told her. "If you need another one, just tell me…Are you going to school tomorrow?"

She pulled a face, chagrined at the mention of school - she couldn't believe she'd missed three days already. Then again, this _was_ a distraction from her mortifying situation. "I can't," she whispered, agonized. "Not yet…I think I'll be back Friday, though. It'll be less obvious."

He nodded, solemnly working on her ribs. She tried not to shiver at the feel of his fingers brushing against her bare skin. "I'll be by tomorrow night," he promised.

She looked up in surprise, meeting his eyes. "You don't have to do that," she said softly, giving him an out. "You've already done so much for me…I don't want you to be burdened by this any longer."

He shook his head, lips set in a grim line. "That's for me to decide," he said firmly. "I'll be by tomorrow."

Once he was done taping up her ribs, he awkwardly helped her put her shirt back on. "Well, I'll just be…Uh, going," he said, packing up his first aid kit. "Do you want to keep this here?"

She shook her head. "I can't risk my…Parents finding out."

He smiled at her sadly. "Okay. Well, I'll come by tomorrow. Night, Bones," he took her good hand, gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze and got to his feet.

"Booth!" she called out in a hushed voice, just as he had one foot out the window. He turned his head to look back at her.

She walked over to him, smiling shyly and holding her arm across her ribs. "Thank you," she murmured, standing right in front of him. "I don't think I told you that. And I didn't want you to leave without knowing that I…I really appreciate this. Thanks."

He gave her his charm smile in return, rejoicing when her crooked smile appeared. That smile only appeared on the rare occasions when she was truly happy, contented, joyful about something. He didn't think anyone but him had ever seen it. Maybe Pops once or twice. But no one else.

"No problem, Bones. It's what friends do," he shrugged.

They shared another easy, 'Booth and Bones' smile before he moved once more, climbing out of her window. He watched until she'd closed her window and latched it shut before making his way down the street towards his car.

The sky was already starting to lighten; he'd been at Bones' for hours.

God, he hoped he'd get a few hours of sleep before school.

Even more, he hoped Pops hadn't woken up and checked on him in the middle of the night. He didn't need to get in trouble right now.

* * *

><p>It was Friday morning.<p>

Booth had, true to his word, gone back to Temperance's house after dark last night and had checked on her injuries. She still wouldn't talk, but he was willing to give her time. He didn't want to pressure her.

Now he was driving up to Jefferson Avenue, two blocks away from Temperance's street. He'd offered to drive her to school today and she'd agreed on one condition - her parents couldn't find out. So they'd made up a plan to meet up in front of the shabby bookstore on Jefferson Avenue, in between the diner and the coffeehouse. Booth wouldn't have known about the bookstore if she hadn't mentioned the diner.

He saw her, sitting on the steps of the bookstore, hunched and reading a book. He smiled to himself. _Typical Bones_, he thought fondly.

Temperance jumped when a car honked. Her head snapped up and she stared at the car in front of her, Booth's head sticking out of the driver's side window. "C'mon, Bones, we've gotta go!" he shouted.

She nodded, gathering up her things as quickly as possible without jostling her ribs or her wrist and making her way to the passenger's seat.

As she strapped herself in, she chanced a sneak in his direction. "Are you sure you want to drive me to school?" she asked hesitantly. "It's only a fifteen minutes walk. I can still…"

He shot her a playfully irritated glare. "Bones! I already told you. I don't mind. I want to drive you, okay?"

She sighed at his irrational behavior. "You're being stubborn," she told him matter-of-factly. "This is high school, Booth. While I am aware that the social order is increasingly ridiculous by the day, and that after we graduate, you probably won't see your friends again for years…I'm also aware that we still have two more years before graduation. As I understand it, people like you have always depended on their social standings amongst their peers."

He shot her a look. An actual, honest to God, annoyed look. "People like me!" he quoted. "What the hell does that even mean?"

She shrugged. "Jocks," she stated simply. "People who have always been popular."

He rolled his eyes. "Listen, my life hasn't always been rainbows and sunshine, alright?"

"Rainbows and sunshine?" she looked puzzled. "I don't know what that means."

"It means," he exhaled loudly. "That things haven't always been great for me personally. I don't know about the other jocks, but I'm not a stereotype."

She gave him a knowing look. "I don't know about what went on in your life before, Booth," she said, and she sounded sort of apologetic about it, too. It was as close to an apology as he'd ever get from her, so he was kind of mollified by it. "But I do know that, in school, you've always been the popular kid."

"Hey! That doesn't mean anything."

"So I'm right."

"Still doesn't mean anything," he sniffed. "Just shut up and let me drive you to school, okay, Bones? Whatever my idiot friends say don't mean anything to me. You're my friend, too."

Though she would never admit it to anyone - not even if she lived to be a hundred - Temperance felt happy about that.

She was happy that she had made some sort of a good impression on Booth, because as she understood it, she rarely ever made a good impression. She was just sort of socially dysfunctional.

She was happy that Booth considered her his friend. She sincerely hoped he was a friend she would never lose.

Instead of saying all of that out loud and embarrassing herself further in front of Booth - she'd done enough of that recently - she merely huffed, crossed her arms and glared at him. "Don't call me 'Bones'," she muttered.

Booth kept silent, but when he turned the corner, the two of them shared a sideways glance. Both smiling slightly, they averted their gaze and went back to being just two friends, driving to school together.

They arrived in school ten minutes later, Booth pulling up at an empty spot next to a rusted blue Chevy truck. They were still arguing about Booth's refusal to drop her off a mile away from the school grounds.

"I don't understand why you won't just listen to me," Temperance was saying.

"And you're being so damn stubborn about this, Bones!" Booth was ranting at the same time.

It was as if he was driving on instinct, and she didn't realize where they were either, until he parked and turned off the engine.

Both of them fell silent at the same time, sharing an awkward look. "So…We're here," she stated in a flat voice.

"Yeah, way to state the obvious, Sherlock," he teased her good naturedly, his voice soft. Giving her a kind smile - the one that reflected even in his sparkling brown eyes - he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It'll be fine, Bones. I'm here."

She nodded, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She knew Booth wasn't just playing around with her - he wasn't pretending to be nice to her. He had really stuck by her side, even when she had been awful to him when she'd arrived at his house late for tutoring. Even when she had been such a mess when he'd snuck through her bedroom window. Even when she was being so evasive towards him when he'd done nothing but help her.

She knew that Booth was a good person. Not an immature boy, like the other males his age, but a man. A beautiful, kind hearted man. She trusted him.

"Okay," she said, resigning herself to the unknown. She had her independence, she had Booth and she had her head held high. She was good to go.

Booth smiled at her determination not to let others bring her down. It was admirable in a girl who was so shunned by their schoolmates.

"Okay," he repeated, giving her hand another squeeze before letting go. "Let's go."

They opened their car doors at the same time, sharing another look before stepping out of the car.

The entire student body population that was lingering in the parking lot turned to stare at them.

They had all known about the budding friendship between basketball star Seeley Booth and nerdy, fourteen year old junior Temperance Brennan.

No one had supported it, and no one had been happy about it. But no one had known that they were close enough for Booth to pick her up before school and drive her over, either. Now, they weren't just unhappy. They were downright outraged.

"Freak," someone muttered as they passed her.

A lanky boy Booth recognized to be Joe Alders, a sophomore who always commentated during basketball games, stared blatantly at Temperance as he passed by with his friends. He pointed at her black eye and shouted out, "Look! Freak's gotten herself a black eye!" She refused to lower her gaze nor look ashamed of something she had no control over, so she merely glared right back at him. "What, parents can't stand to have a freak like you for a kid?"

Now _that_ stung.

Temperance could feel her face crumbling along with her metaphorical heart. She wasn't Mr. and Mrs. Dawson's real child, and she didn't consider them to be her real parents. In fact, she was pretty certain they shouldn't even be parents of any kind to any child.

But, unknowingly, Joe Alders had struck where it hurt the most - her real parents' disappearance from her life over a year ago, and her brother's following departure.

_Maybe he was right_, she thought to herself glumly. _Maybe they had hoped for a better daughter, a more normal child, but woke up one day, gave up hope on me and left. Maybe Russ was with them now, away from me, living a normal life together_.

Booth fumed, grabbing Joe by his coat and dragging him away from Temperance. "What the hell's the matter with you! That's not something you joke about!"

Temperance gasped, Booth's anger jolting her out of her depressing thoughts, and reached out to tug at Booth's arm. "Booth, let it go," she whispered urgently, eyes scanning the lot, trying to see if there were teachers amongst the wide-eyed students who could possibly get Booth into trouble. "Booth, he's not worth it!"

Booth blinked a few times at her words before letting Alders go. "Scram, idiot," he barked out, causing Alders to scramble away from him in fright.

Temperance smiled at him. "That was very heroic alpha male of you," she commented. "But I don't mind the comments, Booth. They're adolescents. Their minds haven't fully developed yet."

He stared at her for a good long while, then barked out a laugh. "Sometimes, Bones…" he shook his head, smiling widely. "Sometimes you're just funny."

He slung an arm around her shoulders, "C'mon. Let's get to class. I can't be late again or Haversham's gonna give me detention."

"Well, you know, teachers only punish to teach students a lesson…"

"Bones! You're supposed to be on _my_ side!"

"I am on your side, Booth! If you don't learn, you'll be stuck and won't have gained any knowledge," she shrugged. "And that'll just be a waste because I know for a fact that you're a very intelligent person."

He gave her a warm smile. "Thanks, Bones," he hugged her to his side tighter for a moment in a shoulder squeeze.

They walked in, bantering and laughing, completely forgetting for the time being that the other students even existed, let alone bothering about their hurtful comments.

On the other side of the parking lot, Katie Quinn stood, surrounded by her cheerleader friends. They all stared at the odd couple walking across the grounds towards the entrance of the school building.

"Looks like you've got unexpected competition, Kate," her teammate Joni Sanders told her, her tone full of disbelief.

Katie shot her an irritated look, then directed a disgusted scowl in Booth's and Temperance's direction. "No way," she shook her head, determined. "She's just his charity case. Nothing more."

Joni snorted. "Denial will get you nowhere," she sing-sang.

Donna Simmons slapped Joni on the forearm, as a sign for her to keep quiet. "Joni's right, though, Katie," she said sympathetically. "You've got to step in. I don't know what he sees in her, but the way things are going…You don't want to lose your man, do you?"

Katie turned her back on her friends, crossing her arms over her chest as her eyes tracked the movements of her boyfriend with his arm around another girl's shoulders.

No. No, she didn't want to lose her man. This couldn't go on for much longer.

* * *

><p>Thank you so much for reading.<p>

Juliet.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>February 17, 1991<em>

"There are three?"

Booth nodded, munching on a handful of popcorn as he popped in The Godfather into the VHS player. "Yeah," he confirmed. "It's a classic, Bones. I can't believe you've never watched the Godfather. We'll watch all three today."

She rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm. "It's not like it's vital knowledge, Booth," she said, a little affected by the goofy smile he was wearing.

Booth gasped, covering his heart with his hand in mock hurt. "Never say that again, Bones!" he protested. "Al Pacino and Marlon Brando are God."

She scrunched her eyebrows at him. "That…Makes no sense."

He exhaled, pretending to be annoyed by her. "Just watch the movie, alright?" he prompted. She nodded, so he sat down next to her, the popcorn bowl between them on the couch.

It was somewhere between the first movie and the middle of the second - right when Temperance was reaching for the candy bowl - that he spoke. He hadn't really made a conscious decision to tell her. He'd just been thinking more and more about his dad ever since he'd seen her strangulation marks and her bruises. And now he was just blurting it out.

"My dad drank."

Temperance's hand froze halfway to her lips, pink marshmallow dropping back into the candy bowl. "What?" she asked, her voice a quivering whisper.

He sucked in a deep breath, keeping his eyes on his pant leg as he spoke. "My old man…He was a drunk. He used to be a good man, you know? He wasn't always like that. But he went to war, and it changed him completely. He never dealt with it all, and when he came back, he just…Drank," he shrugged, as if this didn't mean anything, as if it hadn't hurt him and his family for years. Still hurting, in fact.

Temperance kept quiet as she listened to Booth. "He wasn't a happy drunk, either, or an embarrassing one. He was a violent drunk," she gasped as the words left Booth's lips.

Booth, on the other hand, didn't even flinch. He forced himself to sit very still, forced himself to stare at a frayed thread of his pants. He stared so hard, his eyes started to go dry. "My mother… She stayed with him a good long while, you know? She believed that he was still the good man she married, somewhere deep inside, and if she stuck by him and supported him, he'd find his way back. But he never did, just continued being a drunkard who hits his family, and she…Well, she died. When I was eleven, just a few months before my twelfth birthday. It was just him, Jared and me until I was thirteen. For the most part, I could protect Jared. It was hard, but I did it. He's my little brother - it's my job, you know? My old man just up and left a little over three years ago, but Pops was there to take us in. We moved, from Philly, to come live with him here."

Temperance stared at him, misty-eyed. "You grew up in an abusive home," she said, and her voice shook with grief for him.

He nodded, still unable to meet her gaze. Those intelligent baby blues…They knew too much when they looked at him, as if she could really see through his soul. At this moment, with his guards down, his soul was charred and broken. He didn't need her to see that.

"Yeah," he said on an exhale, his voice rough. "I just wanted you to know."

They were silent for a long time. The TV screen was still flickering, the movie still playing. The house was silent - Pops was gone, as usual, to hang out with his friends like he did every Sunday after mass. Jared had gone out to play soccer with his friends at the park.

Temperance was gazing at Booth, her body angled towards him, and Booth was still just staring at his lap.

Then she moved.

Temperance sighed sadly, shifting on the couch so that she was closer to him. She placed the popcorn and the candy bowl on the coffee table before wrapping her arms around his forearm. Shifting around to get comfortable, she leaned her body into his side and rested her head on his shoulder.

She felt him tensed slightly before relaxing not a second later, and felt the light pressure of his head dropping gently atop hers. One of his hands went up to her linked ones, and gripped it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He hummed slightly. "Me, too," he whispered back.

The two of them continued staring at the screen, both not really watching the movie. Booth was reliving the past, memories flooding his mind and making him cringe on the inside. Temperance, on the other hand, was contemplating telling Booth her own story.

He had been so good to her, and so kind, and she knew for a fact that she trusted him. He had revealed such a dark past to her - a past that she wasn't sure many people knew about.

She doubted anyone at school knew, because Booth wasn't the type of person to just tell anyone and everyone something personal about himself. He believed in privacy, she knew that. She had seen how uncomfortable he would get every time they would talk about something remotely personal.

Not that she broached personal subjects often. Their conversations were mostly light and easy-going.

She doubted even his perky cheerleader girlfriend Katie Quinn knew about his past. Somehow, she didn't think Booth and Katie had very stimulating conversations, or talked about things that went past football games and school dances.

But he had told her. Nerdy, two-years-younger-than-he-was, friendless _her_. He had been worried about her when she hadn't come to school for three days, he'd bothered to sneak into 'her house' to check on her and had been so wonderful to her when he'd found her in that horrendous state. He had always invited her to stay over during tuition days for dinner and movies, or even just to sit next to each other and read. He took her out sometimes for frozen yogurt and to catch movies.

He was a good friend. Her very best friend in her entire life so far.

_I trust him_, she stated blatantly in her mind, pleased when there were no doubts that followed that statement.

So, taking a deep breath, she decided to just tell him.

"My parents disappeared when I was thirteen," she blurted out, quite like how he had with his own secret.

She felt his body jerk slightly, and his head lifting from hers. She lifted her head from his shoulder and turned her head to look at him, but kept her arms locked around his. He didn't move his hand, either.

"What was that?" he asked, his eyebrows scrunching together.

"My parents…They disappeared when I was thirteen. Well, twelve and a half," she shrugged. "It was Christmas. I woke up, expecting it to be like any other Christmas…Any other day, even, but when I got downstairs, no one was there. My dad wasn't wearing his stupid Santa hat, my mom wasn't making hot chocolate. They weren't in their room, or in the kitchen, or sitting in front of the tree. Only my brother Russ was there, and he had no idea where they were, either."

She took in a shuddering breath, dropping her eyes to Booth's shoulder - his kind, understanding gaze was making her feel like she could cry and she just couldn't bear to cry in front of Booth.

"I was so upset, so hysterical…I yelled at Russ, as if it were his fault that our parents were gone, then I ran upstairs and locked myself in my room. Russ tried to make it better. He was eighteen at the time, so he tried to be the adult. He tried to make it Christmas. But I vowed not to open any presents or get out of the house or do anything until my parents came back. They never did, and after a few weeks, things just became very strained. Russ left after that. He told me he couldn't do it anymore. He called social services, and left to get a job somewhere."

Booth untangled his hand from Temperance's, and placed it underneath her chin. "And those people you live with…" he trailed off, his voice soft despite the anger and sadness he felt at the way her world had been turned upside down so swiftly.

She shrugged. "My foster parents," she confirmed. "The ninth ones I've had since my brother left."

Booth gently extricated his arm from her hands, letting her body fall fully into his side, before wrapping both his arms around her thin frame. He squeezed lightly. "Are they…?" he trailed off, swallowing hard.

She raised an eyebrow, giving him a humorless smile. "Do my foster parents abuse me?" she asked, finishing his question for him. He nodded, eyes darkening. "I thought it would be obvious that they did."

He gave a small snort at her ability to be all high and mighty even at a time like this. "Bones… Why don't you tell someone?"

Her head snapped up to look at him, wide eyed. "No!" he jolted a little, surprised by her outburst.

"Why not!" he was confused. She didn't _have_ to stay with her foster parents. She had social services on her side. All she had to do was call her social worker, right? She would get better foster parents. She didn't have to be in this situation.

Temperance shook her head. "You don't get it, Booth," she frowned. "Getting a slap here and there…It's nothing compared to other foster homes. I can't leave, okay? This is…It's actually the nicest foster home I've ever been in."

He gave her a disbelieving look. "But…You get beaten up with them!" he protested.

She shrugged. "It's still…Look, in some of the other homes, things were worse. There were sick people who…" she shuddered. "Taking a swing here and there isn't too bad."

Smiling a little at him, she said, "Besides. If I have to move away from here, I might have to go to another school district."

His eyebrows shot up. "I didn't think you liked our school that much," he commented dryly. From what he'd seen of the treatment she received from the other students, he'd think she hated school. He tried to interfere, of course, but he couldn't be everywhere all the time, and whenever he could step in, Temperance normally hated it. She liked to be independent, and depending on a boy to fight her battles didn't sit very well with her feminist streak.

She chuckled a little. "I don't enjoy the company of our peers, if that's what you mean," she said. "But I do enjoy _your_ company."

He looked mollified by this. "Bones…" his voice was soft. "I love hanging out with you, too. You're a great friend. But I don't want you to suffer because of me."

She shook her head. "I'm not," she assured him. At his raised eyebrow, she elaborated. "The foster system isn't very good, Booth. I've suffered in most of my previous foster homes, too, some worst than others. I haven't had a friend for a very long time, either. So, no. I don't want to tell anyone about this."

At his displeased expression, she quickly added, "Besides. My social worker hardly believes me. She's a very air headed person, you know? She thinks I'm an attention seeker. I'd rather not call her."

He chuckled a little, hugging her to him one more time. "Well, fine," he sighed. "I don't like it, but fine. I just…Tell me, when something's wrong, okay? I want to know, I want to help."

"Booth…"

He gave her an honest, open look. "Please. I just…You're my friend. I want to help."

She nodded, a little abashed. "Okay."

* * *

><p>Pops had come back a few hours ago. The duo had migrated to Booth's room after watching The Godfather III. Temperance hadn't really understood some parts of the movies, but he thought he'd done a good job explaining them to her.<p>

They were sitting on the floor, their backs leaning against the wooden frame of his bed. She had a copy of a battered-looking Romeo and Juliet that she had checked out of the library, and he had his own, both open to the same page: the scene where Tybalt and his friends confronted Romeo; Mercutio's death scene.

"This never made any sense to me," Booth admitted.

"What? This line?" Temperance asked, pointing to 'A plague o' both your houses!'. "I thought it was fairly easy to understand."

"No, not that," he waved it off. "Shakespeare. My brain's turning into mush."

She gave him an incredulous look. "I highly doubt that, Booth," she scoffed. "That would be highly impossible given the fact that-"

"Bones," he interrupted, eyes wide in an attempt to give her a meaningful look.

She stopped, staring at him for a few moments before realization hit. "Oh! You were being metaphorical and sarcastic! I get it."

He chuckled a little at her. "We should just watch the movie," he suggested.

She rolled her eyes. "Booth, the assignment's due on Friday," she reminded him. "Besides, watching the movie isn't the same as reading the book."

"Oh, come on," he pleaded. "Come over on Tuesday - I don't have practice. We'll watch the movie, then read the book. I promise I won't procrastinate any more."

She hesitated, biting her lip. "Well…You might have a better understanding of the words if you saw it play out on screen," she conceded slowly.

He grinned charmingly at her. "Thanks, Bones! Whew!" he threw the book aside, stretching his long legs. "A break at last."

She clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "We've been doing nothing but watching movies the whole day," she sounded disapproving. "Besides, you still have a ton of Biology homework to finish."

He groaned, letting his head fall back onto the bed. "I'll help you," she promised. He groaned, but - after a glare from her that was part irritated, part encouraging in a twisted way - he jumped to his feet to grab his Biology textbook from his desk.

"Alright, fine, let's give it a go," he sighed. There was only a few minutes left before they had to go downstairs and help Pops prepare dinner anyway.

Temperance had this thing where she wouldn't feel comfortable staying over for dinner unless she helped. She didn't want to burden Pops, no matter how many times they'd both told her she wasn't. She was just independent, and she could cook really well for someone who was only fourteen, so Pops was fine with it. Besides, Pops loved Temperance - Booth could see that. His grandfather enjoyed spending some time with his friend.

He turned around, thick textbook in hand, to find Temperance gazing at him with a curious expression on her face. She looked as if she was trying to determine something, eyes narrowed and biting down on the corner of her bottom lip.

"What?" he asked, chuckling a little in nervousness. She was so darn unpredictable that he couldn't help it. He never really knew what she was thinking.

She stared at him a little longer before giving him a small smile. He was taken aback by it - not the fact that she was smiling, because he'd seen her do that plenty of times, even if she didn't smile in school. But this smile…It was honest, and open. It was different. Like she didn't have walls surrounding her heart.

"Can I show you something?" she asked, sounding shy. For once, since the first moment he'd met her, she sounded her age. Just a shy, fourteen year old girl.

He nodded, going over to take his spot by her once more. He crossed his legs and plopped his textbook on the floor next to him. He watched as Temperance darted for her book bag.

Her book bag was sort of ratty, but it was still usable. There were frayed threads all over, though. He had never touched her bag, or seen what was inside it, but it always looked bulky and heavy to him, as if she were lugging around all of her belongings in there.

She unzipped it and pulled out a thick photo album, the words 'My Family' printed in gold lettering on the rich, chocolate colored cover. It looked…Surprisingly well-kept, almost as if it were still relatively new.

"This…It's the only thing I took from my house," she told him, keeping her eyes firmly on the album. Her fingers caressed it gently. "My real home. When the social workers came, they told me to pack up a few things that I needed, and this was the only thing that I took as a reminder of my family."

She looked up suddenly and he could see that her eyes were red-rimmed and slightly watery, as if she wanted to cry but wouldn't do it in front of him. "I take it with me everywhere I go," she admitted. "I learnt not to be trustful of other foster kids, or foster parents, with my prized possessions. I don't have many, but this one…It holds a lot of sentimental value for me. I can't lose it."

He gave her a sympathetic, understanding smile. "I know how that is," he said softly, placing an arm around her shoulders. "I was like that, too, when my dad was around."

She sniffled, feeling a little better that Booth didn't think she was some sort of a freak.

It shouldn't matter to her what he thought - no one else's opinions mattered to her. Except for the teachers, of course, but _they_ were her ticket to higher education.

Booth, however, was her friend, and she didn't want him to turn on her and treat her like everyone else in school treated her. It would be painful, she could admit to that.

Booth rested the side of his head against hers, both of them staring down at the photo album. "You can keep it here," he offered out of the blue. Temperance turned her head to stare at him questioningly. Tamping down his unreasonable blush - boys don't blush - he elaborated, "Your album. You can keep it here. I've got a loose floorboard, so Pops and Jared won't happen to stumble on it or anything. And I promise I won't look."

She smiled widely at him. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "But I…You're my very best friend, Booth. And I trust you with a lot. Don't take this the wrong way because it's not anything personal. I just have a lot of trust issues. I'm not…There yet," she said lamely. "I haven't trusted anyone with my album before. I know that if there's anyone in this world I could trust with it, it would be you, but I'm just…Not there yet."

She ducked her head, feeling more than a little awkward. "Sorry."

He surprised her by chuckling a little. "Hey, don't worry about it," he assured her in a low whisper. "I get it. I'm just saying that if you do decide to trust me with it, I'm here. The floorboard's here."

She beamed up at him a little, blinking away the mistiness in her eyes. "Do you want to have a look?" she asked, a little hopefully. "We can put off the Biology for a little while," she added, as if it was an incentive.

He smiled, nodding his head and keeping his arm around her shoulders. "Sure, let's have a look," he said, trying not to sound too eager to look at pictures of a younger Temperance. Maybe her parents put in some embarrassing photos - God knew she'd seen enough of his thanks to Pops.

"Okay," she exhaled, turning the page of the album. "This is my mom, and my dad. This was at their engagement party…There surprisingly aren't many pictures of them before I was three…"

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading.<p>

Juliet.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>February 25, 1991<em>

"Seeley!"

Booth started at the sound of his first name, blanching. He looked up from his locker to see Katie rushing towards him, grinning wildly. The cheerleading team had just finished practice, he assumed. He himself was just done with basketball practice.

"Katie," he said once she had reached him. "Don't call me Seeley, okay?"

She ignored him, like she had every time before this, and leaned up to place a lingering kiss on his lips. He pulled back first, pushing her away gently by the shoulders so he could continue taking out whatever he needed from his locker.

"Seeley," she said, running her fingers down Booth's arm and completely ignoring the glare he shot her for using his first name again. "I thought we could go out. We haven't done that in a while…Maybe the movies?"

Booth shook his head. "Sorry, Katie, I've got plans," he apologized, frowning into his locker as he tried to remember if he'd need his Trig textbook tonight or not.

Katie frowned at him. "Plans?" she repeated, puzzled. "What plans?"

"I'm taking Bon-uh, I mean, Temperance out for smoothies," he shrugged as if it were no big deal.

Katie gasped in outrage. "Seeley Booth!" she smacked him on the arm. "You're blowing off a date with me for _her_! How could you!"

Booth raised an eyebrow at her. "Katie, would you stop being so paranoid?" he asked, shaking his head. "We didn't actually make plans, remember? If we'd made plans, I wouldn't have blown you off. Temperance is my friend, and I promised I'd take her out for smoothies. I can't blow _her_ off, either."

Katie huffed, crossing her arms across her chest indignantly. "You're spending an awful lot of time with her lately," she commented unhappily.

Booth shot her a look over his shoulder. "She's my friend, Katie," he said slowly. "I'm sorry that I've been really busy lately. It's just with exams coming up, and basketball practice…I just don't have much time left."

Katie scowled. "You have time for her," she pointed out bitterly.

He sighed, stuffing his Trig book in his bag and slamming his locker shut. "Katie, she's my tutor. Even if I was swamped, I'd _have_ to make time. Besides…There are just some things we can talk about," he tried to explain without giving away too much. It wasn't like Katie would see the connection - she didn't know about his past, so she couldn't make the connection to Temperance's situation.

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she asked. "What sort of things?"

He chuckled a little. "Katie, that's between me and her," he said gently. "Listen, I'm running late - Temperance is waiting for me. Why don't we, uh, go out…Um," he scrunched his nose up in concentration. "What about tomorrow?"

She grinned suddenly, bad mood apparently gone. "Sure!" she said eagerly. "We could go over to your place," she suggested.

Booth winced. Pops didn't like it if he were to bring his girlfriend home. He hadn't liked it with the girls before Katie, and Booth was sure that Pops didn't like _Katie_, period. "I don't think so," he shook his head. "Temperance is going to be there…It'd be awkward."

Well, at least that was true.

Just like that, Katie's expression darkened. "Why would she be there?" she asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed once more.

Booth shrugged. "She helps Pops out sometimes," he said, as if that vague response explained it all. "Besides, she tutors Jared, too. My little brother. He's not all that great in math and science, so she helps him out."

Katie harrumphed. "I just don't like that you're spending too much time with her, Seeley," she admitted, not at all shy about it at all. "And don't tell me it's just tutoring, either. You drive her to school every day now. You hang out with her all the time. You're taking her out for smoothies? What is that!"

Booth sighed heavily. "Katie…"

"No!" she protested, taking hold of his arm and pulling him back towards her when he started walking away. She looked around the virtually empty hallway, lowering her voice to a whisper. "People are starting to talk," she told him through gritted teeth.

He wasn't impressed. "So what? Katie, this is high school. People talk all the time!"

She threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "How do you think that makes me feel, though!" she practically screeched at him. "I'm your girlfriend who has to listen to the stupid rumors, but you don't even notice because you're too busy lavishing _her_ with attention!"

Booth was more than a little shocked by her outburst, but felt guilty nonetheless. It was true that Katie was just making a big deal out of nothing - it wasn't a crime for him to have a friend. But it was also true that kids could be vicious. He didn't want her to have to deal with the rumors, especially all on her own.

He dropped his bag to the floor and tried to take her into his arms. "Katie, I'm sorry," he begun, but Katie shoved his hands away.

"Don't talk to me!" she spat out. "I'm leaving. I'll just…Talk to you tomorrow." Without so much as a backward glance, she left, storming towards the exit.

Booth watched her retreating back for a moment, mouth hanging open. Had he been so neglectful of her that she had started feeling jealous? That couldn't be it - they had a few classes together, they always sat together during lunch at their usual table with the rest of their friends, and they went on dates all the time.

He knew that Katie wanted to go further into their relationship - even before Temperance had entered his life, she had been unsatisfied with him not bringing her back to his place, and his lack of enthusiasm to talk about his family. She wanted to go further than just kissing, which he thought was too early for. They'd only been going out for a while, and he didn't feel that deeply for her yet. They'd gone to second base - even third on occasion - but full out sex? He wasn't sure it was time. Soon, maybe, but not now.

Booth sighed, bending down to pick up his book bag. Slinging it over his shoulder, he shook his head as if to clear the thoughts swimming around in his head. He snuck a look at his watch and started.

_I'm running late_, he scrambled towards the front entrance of the school, heading for the parking lot.

Temperance had gone off to the library after school - her foster father wasn't home today and when he wasn't there, her foster mother generally didn't care where she was or what she did, as long as she came home and didn't go missing.

He was to pick her up in ten minutes.

Thinking about her made his problems with Katie infinitesimal, shrinking them down until they were barely a whisper at the back of his mind.

He smiled, getting into his car and cranking up the heat. _Maybe I'd get her to try a different flavor - she can't keep picking vanilla. Ooh! We should go for pie. I'm starved_.

Two rows down, Katie sat fuming in her Mustang her parents had gotten for her as a present for her sixteenth birthday.

The parking lot was practically empty, with only a few cars scattered around that belonged to cheerleaders, basketball players and football players - the three sports teams that had practice today.

That really wasn't a lot.

But Booth, her own boyfriend, hadn't even noticed her sitting there. He had just gotten into his car and driven away without so much as a glance her way.

Their cars were so close that she could see the stupid, goofy grin on his face as he entered his car. She couldn't imagine why he would be smiling like the idiot who scored under the bleachers. Not when the two of them had just gotten into a huge fight literally seconds ago.

Of course, he _could_ be smiling like that because of who he was going to see right at this moment.

Blinking away the bitter tears, she started the engine and started to drive, one goal in mind. She wasn't about to lose her boyfriend to that freak of a loser. She wasn't about to lose her boyfriend, period.

They were, essentially, the perfect couple. She knew she was good enough to be great - she would so be in the running for cheerleading captain in senior year. Booth was good enough to be captain of the basketball team, too.

It wasn't that she thought they would last forever - hell, no. She wanted to have the whole college experience thing. You know - drunken parties, one night stands, that sort of thing. But for high school? She and Booth were perfect for each other.

With that in mind, she drove, keeping a fair distance between her Mustang and Booth's Impala.

She scoffed to herself when she realized that Booth had parked in front of the library. She rolled her eyes. It figured that nerdy Temperance Brennan would choose to spend her free time in the library. _When she's not trying to steal my boyfriend, at least_, she added silently.

Booth had turned off the engine and was now heading out of his car to climb up the steps of the library. Katie ducked slightly, worried that he would catch sight of her. Of course, he never did. Was it wrong that she was disappointed to be invisible when she was following her boyfriend?

She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, back hunched, as she waited anxiously for Booth to return. _Mom is going to _kill_ me if I'm late for dinner_, she sighed, remembering the big promotion her step-father had received. They were all supposed to be going out to celebrate it tonight.

She was about to just give up waiting - look at the time! - grumbling to herself about what Booth could possibly find interesting in the freakin' library, when they came out.

She watched with sharp, hawk-like eyes as her boyfriend led Temperance out of the library. He carried a stack of books in one arm, the other slung around her shoulders again. _Why was he always so damn touchy-feely with her!_

Temperance herself had a bunch of thick books in her arms, and she looked like she was blushing. Katie couldn't really tell from the distance. Besides, the girl's long, mousy hair was in the way.

Booth led Temperance to his car, opening the door for her. Katie watched as the two exchanged some words. Temperance had on a no-nonsense, strict sort of face on, but Booth simply smiled, shrugging his shoulders. Katie could see his lips moving, and just like that, with a smile and a few words, the strict look on Temperance's face vanished. She smiled, too, and started to laugh, getting in the car.

Katie's boyfriend was still grinning idiotically, chuckling to himself, as he closed the door to the passenger's side, and rounded to the driver's side.

It was horrible to watch, like a damn car wreck, but she couldn't stop watching them. So, when the Impala moved, Katie drove as well, following them out of sight.

True to his earlier claim, Booth drove Temperance over to Yummy Berry, the yogurt shop. Katie watched as Booth and Temperance climbed out of his car, parked in the lot outside the shop.

_At least he didn't open the door for her again_, Katie thought, not taking her eyes off of them.

Her jaw dropped open when she caught sight of Booth placing his hand at the small of Temperance's back, as if guiding her, protecting her. Temperance didn't object, just walked intimately close with him as if it was something that came natural to them.

The two of them were talking to each other, ignorant of the world around them. They were caught up in their own discussion, Temperance gesturing wildly with her hands in what seemed to be a passionate debate.

Katie's eyes widened when Booth laughed - a full blown, head-thrown-back, hearty laugh - before leaning down and brushing his lips against Temperance's cheek.

She sat in her car, frozen in her seat, as she watched her boyfriend and the other girl walked into the frozen yogurt parlor, still smiling and laughing and talking.

Anger clouded her vision as she drove away. Picking up her cell phone, she dialed Donna's number. Donna had been her best girlfriend since middle school - if anyone knew what to do, Donna would.

"Donna?" she said into the phone as she rounded the bend, speeding towards home and already making excuses in her head to get out of the stupid dinner celebration tonight. "You guys were right. I need your help."

* * *

><p>"Okay, let's review the facts," Donna said, plopping down on Katie's bed on her stomach, feet propped up in the air.<p>

Katie joined Donna, imitating her position. "_What_ facts?" she asked, confused.

Donna smirked at her. "Exactly my point," she said, popping her gum. "We don't know squat about Temperance Brennan."

Katie snorted. "I know enough - that she's trying to steal my boyfriend," she retorted. "That's enough for me."

Donna shook her head. "No, we need more," she insisted. "If we're going to take her down, we need to get all our facts right." She sighed, flipping through the student yearbook from last year. "No one knows anything about her. She doesn't have any friends - except from your lost soul of a man. She wasn't even in the school yearbook last year."

Katie wrinkled her nose. "Was she even in the same school as us last year?" she questioned, her mind coming up blank. She had better things to think about normally. And before that wretched girl had decided to show off so much, the school had to put her in a class two years above her, no one in junior year had even known she existed.

Donna shrugged. "See?" she exclaimed, as if this proved something. "That's what I mean! We know absolutely nothing about her. We can't just attack when we don't know where to begin."

Katie rolled her eyes at her over-imaginative friend. "Donna, what attack? This isn't war."

"Oh, but it is," Donna countered, nodding her head as if to agree with herself. Katie wondered if Donna had been stealing her father's good scotch again.

"Whatever," Katie rolled her shoulders back. "All I want to do is go up to that little skank and tell her to stay the hell away from my guy."

Donna smirked at her. "And when that doesn't work…?" she prompted. At Katie's incredulous look, she said, "Wasn't she the same skank who told you off the first day you met her?"

Katie's expression cleared as she remembered the incident just after Temperance's first Biology class with Mr. Haversham and the rest of her class. Temperance had been all over Booth, and when Katie had gone to defend her territory, Temperance had called her a bitch!

She nodded, repositioning herself so that she was sitting up with her back against the headboard. "You're right," she told Donna, who quickly followed her movements. "We need to get to work."

* * *

><p>"It's been three days, Donna!" Katie snapped over the phone.<p>

She wasn't in a very good mood.

School had gone horribly wrong today - while Booth had made good use of his promise to take her out on Tuesday, he'd been too busy to make plans with her today. He'd said something about helping his grandfather out, but Katie didn't buy it. Temperance must have something to do with it.

When she had come home, her mom had gotten on her case for her slipping grades in Trig - now she was grounded for a week! That meant that she wouldn't be able to go out with Booth all of next week, if he even bothered to stop gawking at that harlot and started paying attention to her, and it would only give Temperance more time with him.

To top it all off, Donna was still hopeless and wasn't giving her any information on Temperance. Thank God her friend didn't have any aspirations to become, like, a private eye or something because she would _suck_.

Donna sighed on the other end. "I know," she said apologetically. "But I couldn't go yesterday because Josh asked me out - he's a great kisser!"

Katie rolled her eyes at her friend's excited tone. "I don't have time for this right now!" she snapped, her voice hushed. "I'm not allowed to be using my cell phone right now. Listen, just find out whatever you can, and give me a call later. Okay?"

She hung up before Donna could reply, having heard her mother's approaching footsteps down the hallway.

Donna, meanwhile, sighed as she heard the dial tone. She was currently stationed outside of Pete's Pizza, the local pizza parlor every kid in their school normally went to.

Booth had driven Temperance home, as he usually did on days he didn't have practice, and Donna had followed them. Katie was usually the nutty girlfriend crazy enough to follow him around, but she had to go home straightaway - her mom had called and yelled for her to do so. So here she was, fulfilling best friend duties.

She had followed them, and had been surprised when Booth had driven Temperance to Pete's instead of wherever her home was. They'd been in there for hours, and Donna could just see them through the glass windows - they had taken the window seat. They were sitting opposite each other, a large pizza on the table between them and milkshakes for each.

As much as she hated to admit it, it looked like Booth and Temperance were just friends. Good friends - _extremely_ good - and she would be the first to admit that there was something there, a spark of some sort, that Katie would have to be concerned about.

But it didn't look like Temperance was making a move on him, and it didn't look like Booth was flirting with her, either. Well, not more so than he flirts with every girl he meets - but that's just part of his charm, she supposed.

She sighed. _Well, this is boring_, she thought. _At least share a damn milkshake so I can report back to Your Royal Pain-In-The-Ass_!

She held her breath as the two of them stood up from their table, Booth dropping a few wads of cash on the table. She raised her eyebrow. Hmm. The boy paying for the meal…Possible date-like quality.

Booth and Temperance headed out of the parlor, Booth's hand on her lower back as he guided her towards his car. Donna was far away from where they were, but she was still worried that Booth would spot her.

Of course, this was a popular hangout for the kids in their school. She could just say that she was waiting for a friend to come out of the parlor if he saw and asked her.

Donna wrinkled her nose at Temperance's outfit - tattered and ripped jeans, an ugly green shirt and a coat so worn that it shouldn't even be used anymore. Ugh. The girl was just…She was weird.

Excitement started to bubble up inside of her as Booth started driving. Maybe there would be better dirt wherever Booth was driving her to next.

She followed them, surprised when they entered a neighborhood she had never been to. She didn't think anyone she knew lived near here. She didn't think Booth lived here, either. The guy had never thrown a party or anything, and he hadn't invited Katie over, but she still didn't think this was where he lived.

Booth's car stopped in front of a pale, white single-story house. All of the neighboring houses looked like it, too. Donna waited anxiously, eyes riveted on the car. Things made more sense when only Temperance came out, waving at Booth as he revved up the engine and drove away.

Donna held her breath, barely paying attention to Booth who was driving in the other direction and thankfully hadn't caught sight of her car. She watched as Temperance walked past the house Booth had dropped her off in front of, and down three houses before walking up to the front door.

She raised an eyebrow, heart thudding in anticipation, as she watched Temperance open the door to the house and made her way inside. Why had she waited until Booth was gone? Was she hiding something from her 'new best friend'? What else could make her home life undesirable? She was already living in a poor neighborhood - it was obvious from just one glance.

Making up her mind, Donna turned off the engine of her car and climbed out, striding purposefully towards the house she'd just seen Temperance go in. She climbed the rickety steps to the porch and prayed that she wouldn't fall through - the wood seemed really old.

She raised her fist, knocking on the door, and waited patiently for the person on the other side to answer. When the door opened, it wasn't Temperance who answered it. It was a thin woman, very bony, who stood in front of her. She had on clothes uglier than Temperance's, but newer and not as tattered.

Donna put on her best smile and cleared her face from any judgmental expressions. "Hi!" she chirped perkily. "I'm Donna…I'm here to…Work on a school report with your daughter!" she beamed clearly proud of her on-the-spot lie.

The woman stared at her for a few seconds before snorting in laughter. "I don't have a daughter, kid," she said, her voice rough. She lifted her hand, a cigarette between her fingers, and stuck the cig in her mouth. She took a long drag before pulling her hand away. "I just have a foster kid."

Donna's eyes widened. "Foster kid," she repeated, trying not to show how excited she was.

The woman nodded. "Yeah," she said, uninterested. "Wanna see her?"

Donna quickly shook her head. "Um, no! That's okay," she assured the woman. "I think I've got the wrong house."

Hurriedly saying goodbye, she sprinted from the house and went straight to the car. _I can't wait to tell Katie_!

The first thing she did when she arrived home was run up the stairs and grabbed her phone - her mom had given Donna her own phone line when she was eleven, which was good because she didn't have to share with her siblings then.

She dialed Katie's number and waited anxiously for her friend to pick up.

"Got anything yet?" were Katie's first words, whispered so that her mother wouldn't hear her speaking and come to check.

Donna squealed a little, excited. "You wouldn't _believe_ what I found out!" she gushed. "After Pete's, Booth drove her home, right? Guess where she lives? McCallum street!"

Katie was silent for a few moments, her nose scrunched up as she tried to remember where McCallum Street was. Once she remembered, she laughed. "Seriously?" she asked, aware that her tone was snobby - while she wasn't 'royalty rich', her family was still pretty well-off. And from what she remembered, only those who were _this close_ to being so broke they're homeless lived on McCallum Street.

"Totally!"

Katie sneered, crossing her arms across her chest. "Guess now we know why she's always wearing drabby clothes," she snarked.

"That's not even the worst of it…"

Katie listened with rapt attention as Donna recounted the rest of her 'stake-out', from Temperance being dropped off to her foster mother answering the door, smoking pot (she might've exaggerated and embellished a little, but _come on_! Who _didn't_ embellish their stories!)

Katie grew increasingly excited, a wide smile spreading across her lips as she listened to Donna's words. As Donna finished speaking, she let out a low squeal, her eyes immediately darting to the door of her room to make sure her mom hadn't heard her momentary lapse.

"This is _great_!" she gushed. "Looks like little Ms. Home-wrecker isn't being entirely truthful… Once Booth hears about this, he'll dump her and everything will be right again."

Donna giggled. "So you're gonna tell him?" she questioned unnecessarily.

Katie grinned maliciously. "Oh, I'm gonna do much better than that," she promised slyly.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

Juliet.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>March 1, 1991<em>

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Donna asked Katie, a little wary now. She was all for Katie getting her man's attention back, but this was a little elaborate. She just didn't have a good feeling about this.

Katie ignored her, her eyes riveted instead on Booth and Temperance across the lot. They had just pulled in, both of them getting out at the same time. Booth shut his car door, locking it, before hurrying to rush up to Temperance, who was walking slightly ahead of him. She watched as Booth gently took Temperance's book bag from her and, even as she protested, he slung it over his shoulder, carrying it for her.

"Yeah," Katie glared at the duo. "I'm sure."

Spinning around on her heel, she turned to where a few of her cheerleading teammates were sitting on top of Josh Kettleman's car. "You know, I've been thinking," she said loudly, gaining all of their attention. Josh stopped flirting with Masie, Jen and Debby stopped gossiping, and Donna stopped glaring daggers into Josh's back because he was flirting with another girl. "Booth seems to take a liking to that Temperance chick. Maybe there's something there."

Josh snorted, and Jen gave her an incredulous look. "You want us to make friends with that nerdy chick from Bio?" she sounded as if she was questioning Katie's sanity.

Katie shrugged. "She's been through a lot," she said, her voice sickly sweet. "Moving up two grades, forced to be in a new environment, being a foster kid…" she trailed off, smiling slightly when a murmur broke out.

Debby snickered. "No way! Is that true?" she asked, looking from Katie to Donna and back to Katie again. "She's a foster kid!"

Josh shared a smirk with Jen. "Explains why she smells like garbage bags the first few weeks she came here," Jen snarked.

Katie nodded, leaning forward eagerly. "Totally true," she confirmed in a low whisper, previous claims of wanting to be Temperance's friend forgotten. "So, Donna caught sight of her going home, right? And…"

The gossipy girls listened intently, sniggering at Katie's embellished story. Once Katie was done regaling her tale, several of the girls hopped off the car and went off to other friends to recount it.

Temperance couldn't, for the life of her, understand why there were so many students looking her way. Normally, before Booth, she was just ignored. When Booth first started being her friend, there were stares and whispers which she had avoided. Those stopped after the first few weeks.

She didn't know why they were staring and whispering and pointing all over again. It was strange, and made her feel uncomfortable.

She was spared anyone coming up to her and blatantly saying anything to her face her first class, Biology, because she had it with Booth.

He walked her to her next class, AP French, and even though she found his sentimentality of girls unable to do anything on their own a little Neanderthal and sexist, on Booth, it was just…Sweet. She knew he didn't mean anything sexist, he was just protective.

"I'll see you at Trig?" he called out, smiling.

She nodded. "Sure. Thanks, Booth," she retrieved her bag from him - he'd stubbornly insisted on carrying it for her because she had hurt her shoulder yesterday. Mr. Dawson hadn't been too happy before he left for work, and Mrs. Dawson had been irate that a friend of hers had dropped by after she'd come home. She hadn't seen this friend personally, having been upstairs in the shower, but Mrs. Dawson had said that the friend was a 'she'. The fact that she didn't have any girl friends, coupled with the girl admitting that she had the wrong house, Temperance didn't think it was her fault. But Mrs. Dawson hadn't thought so and the chores that she had made Temperance do had strained her muscles further.

She turned away from him, walking into class, and plopping into her usual seat at the back. She would've sat up front - better view of the blackboard and better audio of the teacher's lectures - but she didn't want to drag even more attention to herself. The back row was a pretty good place to be, especially since no one could throw anything her way if they were sitting in front of her.

She was a good five minutes earlier than the second bell - Booth always wanted to chat in the hallways, but she didn't want him to be late so she always ushered him away to his class. This gave her time to review her notes and get a head start on tonight's homework, anyway. Between her chores, tutoring Booth, tutoring Jared and making sure she didn't anger her foster parents too much, Temperance didn't have a lot of time left on her hands to ensure her grades were good enough for college.

She heard giggling again, and looked up to find some of the girls in her class huddled together at a corner, all four watching her with amused eyes. When they saw her looking at them, they burst into giggles again and looked away.

She scrunched her eyebrows together. _Normally teenagers were weird, but not this weird. Wonder what's going on_, she shrugged mentally.

"Think it's true?" she heard someone whispering, not so quietly. She didn't look up this time, or pay attention to the words. Kids were always gossiping, always spreading rumors. She had no time for that, nor was she interested. "She's really a foster kid?"

_That_ got her attention.

She turned her head discreetly to find Greg Johnson and Billy Ackerman laughing to themselves, shooting her looks. Her stomach dropped. "That's what I heard," Greg was saying to Billy. "Explains why she always looks like _that_."

Billy snickered, causing Temperance's blush to deepen. She dropped her head, turning back to the front, and let her hair curtain around her face.

_They know_, a voice chanted frantically in her mind. _They know. They all had to know - the whispering, the pointing…_A chorus of giggling and harsh laughter reached her ears again, causing her to cringe. _The laughing_, she added bitterly. _They all know! _But how!

The only person that she had ever trusted to tell her secret to was Booth. He had been very good at keeping it - not even Pops, whom he was very close to, nor Jared, who was going through a very nosy, inquisitive-younger-brother phase, knew.

And there was no way that Booth would've just told anyone else. No way. He was a good man, she reminded herself. He would never betray her trust like that.

Temperance kept repeating the words again and again in her mind, trying to get her usually skeptical brain to just accept that. Her mind wasn't cooperate, though - the rational part of her, which was a pretty large part, kept asking the one question she didn't like the answer to:

If Booth - the _only_ person who knew about her situation - didn't tell anyone, then who did?

When three other people stared at her, and made hushed comments about her situation, Temperance was ready to bolt, leaving her things behind. She had always been strong in the face of adversity, but she had never wanted anyone to find out about this.

But, unfortunately enough for her, the teacher came in at the exact moment, the bell ringing in synchronization. "Alright, class, let's get started," she heard the teacher say, and blanched, keeping herself rooted to her seat by gripping the sides of her chair until her knuckles turned painfully white.

She wasn't sure if she listened to the teacher at all the whole time, but she wasn't normally called upon in Trig - she was just one of those students teachers had caught on early that they couldn't bully because she always had the right answer.

When the bell rang, Temperance already had her bag packed and was the first one to dash out of the classroom.

It was lunch time now, and Trig wouldn't happen until after. She usually didn't sit with Booth because she liked going to the library during lunch and he had his normal friends. She enjoyed spending time with Booth, but she knew that his life didn't revolve around her. He needed to be with his other friends, too.

And, of course, there was his gorgeous cheerleader girlfriend, Katie.

She walked to her locker, heart pounding and head throbbing painfully. Maybe there was some Tylenol in her locker…

"Hey, freak," someone greeted her in the hallway, pushing past her roughly. She didn't answer, just kept her head down and kept on walking - insults like that were a normal everyday occurrence for her.

"Heard you were with fake parents," someone else said. Her eyes widened and she looked up to see Josh Kettleman, leaning against the locker next to her. He was only a few rows down from her. Donna, one of Katie's usual friends, was hanging on his arm, smirking right along with him. "So, what, your parents died or something?"

She looked away from them, eyes clouding over. She kept her mouth shut and was determined not to let any tears gather in her eyes - she wouldn't cry. Not here. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

"No," Donna pretended to think, her girlish voice like nails on a chalkboard to Temperance. "I don't think that's it. I think her parents couldn't handle having a freak like her for a daughter, and just dumped her."

Donna and Josh shared a good laugh while Temperance slammed her locker shut. Not looking back at them, or at the laughing people around who had overheard - Donna and Josh hadn't exactly been quiet about it - Temperance walked as quickly as she could away from the duo.

Donna's words had caused her heart to start aching painfully - unknowingly, the other girl had fed upon her worst fears; that her parents and brother had left her on her own, and that they were out there somewhere, continuing life together without her. She had been a rather strange child, and that hadn't changed much since she'd reach young adulthood. It wasn't such a long stretch to think that they had wanted her out of the picture.

"Bones, hey, there you are!" she heard Booth's familiar voice calling out for her, but she ignored him, picking up her pace.

"Bones!" Booth frowned as he watched her hurry away from him. "Bones, hey! Wait up!" He distractedly waved goodbye to Vaughn, and slung his backpack over his shoulder, running to catch up to her.

The bell had rung for lunch, and most everyone had already left for the cafeteria. He walked past a few students that were still remaining in the hallway and caught up to her, grabbing her elbow.

She yanked her elbow away sharply. "Don't touch me!" she hissed, spinning around to glare at him.

He was struck by how similar this scene was to the time Mr. Haversham had assigned her to be his tutor, and he'd tried getting her attention after class. "Whoa," he blinked. "What's with the attitude, Bones?"

She glared at him. "Don't call me that! Don't call me Bones!" she spat, spinning around on her heel and marching off.

He ran forward and cut her off, lurching right in front of her. She halted to a stop, still glaring daggers at him. Her lips were set in an angry scowl and she crossed her arms over her chest. Booth thought she looked slightly scary, but one look into her eyes made him concerned - her eyes weren't angry. Her eyes were hurt, and brimming with tears.

"Why would you do this to me?" she asked, her voice breaking in several different places. "Why would you hurt me?"

His heart dropped to his stomach, and he looked at her, confused. "What're you talking about!" he asked, shaking his head. "Bones, I never hurt you. I never would. You know that!"

She shook her head, shying away from his touch. "I don't," she said, speaking so harshly it was as if she was trying to convince herself. "I don't know anything."

"Bones…"

"I can't believe you would just tell everyone!" she tried blinking her tears away but was chagrined when, instead, warm crystal droplets started spilling down her pale cheeks. "Were you just pretending to be my friend?"

"_Bones_!"

"Were you planning on embarrassing me later, anyway?" she wrapped one arm tightly around her abdomen, as if keeping herself together physically from breaking down, and reached one hand up to her cheeks to angrily swipe at her tears. "Because that's just cruel, Booth."

He was hearing her words, but none of them made sense to him. "Bones, look," he reached out, his hands grasping her upper arms gently. "You're confusing me here. What did I do?"

"You're the only one who knows," she told him, still not making any sense. "I denied it, but how else could they know now?"

He was about to ask her again, though the feeling of dread was creeping up on him, swallowing him whole.

Before he could so much as open his mouth, though, a kid walked past, snickered at her and said, "Hey, foster freak."

Temperance's face crumbled, and she yanked her body away from Booth's grasp. Another fresh bout of tears made their way down her cheeks.

Booth's head whipped in the kid's direction, before turning back to Temperance, shock and anger coursing through his veins like hot, bitter larva. Her words from before came rushing at him, things clicking into place.

"Bones," the moniker he'd given her came out like a plea. "Bones, you have to believe me - I never told anyone."

She stared at him with accusing eyes. "You're the only one who knew!" she practically shouted at him. "You _had_ to have told someone!"

"No, I would never do that," he protested, cutting her off again when she tried to move past him.

She shook her head, sniffling and wiping her face again with the back of her hand. "I thought you were different," she said, her voice soft and defeated. To him, that was much worse than her yelling at him. "I thought you were my friend, Booth."

"I am!"

"But you're just another Andy Fluger."

He shook his head, "What?" She was already walking away. "_Temperance_! Wait!" he shouted, desperate.

He grabbed hold of her by the waist, pulling her back towards him but she struggled against his grip. "Don't!" she screamed, pushing and shoving at his chest until he let go of her. "Just don't talk to me, Booth. I don't want anything to do with you!"

He watched, with a shocked mind, as Temperance turned and ran from him. He could hear her breaking into sobs not a few feet away from where he was, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest.

He wanted to go after her, to explain, but the logical side of him knew that she would need some time to cool off first. He didn't like it, but going after her now could possibly just make things worse. He didn't need that - things were already pretty bad.

So, he turned around instead, and went off towards the direction of the cafeteria. He needed time to cool off, too, but figured it was better if he told Katie where he would be: she had been testy lately about his whereabouts and such. It might have something to do with her jealousy that he was making good friends with Temperance, but he knew it would pass. _Of course, now that Bones doesn't even want anything to do with me…_he thought glumly.

Just as he was about to enter the cafeteria, he caught sight of the boy who had walked past him and Temperance earlier on, and had called her 'foster freak'. Anger boiling in his blood, he stalked over to the boy, who was leaning against the wall next to the cafeteria doors, laughing it up with a few friends.

The boy looked to be a year younger than he was, and Booth vaguely recognized him as one of the many faces in the hallway. Grabbing the kid by the scruff of his shirt, Booth slammed him backwards. "Hey!" the kid protested. When he saw Booth, his face grew pale. It might be because Booth was a popular jock. It might be because Booth was older, stronger, bigger and more intimidating. It might even be because Booth looked so angry, he was afraid he would burst.

Booth ignored the boy's protests and his friends' shouts. "Why'd you call her that?" he asked, his words coming out in a growl.

"Wha-What?" the boy stuttered, quivering in fear.

"Temperance Brennan!" he snarled. "You know, the girl you passed by and called a 'foster freak'!"

"Oh, come on, dude," the kid's friend called out, trying to get Booth to release his friend. "Everyone's calling her that."

"Yeah," a thin girl chimed in. "It's not like he's the only one."

Booth ignored them, and kept his attention focused on the boy whose feet were currently dangling from the ground. "Who told you?" he asked. When the boy still didn't answer, he jerked the boy forward then slammed him back against the wall once more. "Who told you?" he repeated in a snarl.

Trembling, the boy said, "Ash heard it…" his eyes timidly found the girl who was now pale-faced.

Booth raised an eyebrow at her questioningly, hands still gripping her friend in place against the wall. He didn't even have to ask the question - she answered the moment he looked at her. "I heard those cheerleader chicks telling everyone…Donna Simmons and Katie Quinn."

Booth stared at her in disbelief. "You sure about that?" he asked, and he knew he sounded skeptical. There was no way…Donna and Katie? They didn't know. They shouldn't know. He'd never told a soul.

The girl nodded her head frantically, eyes darting from Booth to her friend. "I'm sure, I'm sure!" she yelped. Booth, realizing how frightened she was, rolled his eyes and dropped her friend to the ground. "They were right next to my sister's car. I swear, man. They told a bunch of people, and now everyone knows."

Booth could feel the anger returning to his body. Without a word to the boy or his friends, he turned and stormed inside the cafeteria. His eyes immediately sought the table he usually sat at with Katie and their friends.

She was sitting there now, next to Donna, chatting it up with the whole table about something. They were all so engrossed, listening to her, and it must have been a funny story because they all kept snickering and giggling and laughing. Katie had a smirk on her face as she spoke. Booth approached the table, but they were all so distracted with Katie's words that they hadn't noticed. "…And she was living in this ugly little house, right? Donna saw with her own eyes -"

"I think it's a freakin' crack house," Donna interrupted, her nasal voice causing Booth's ears to hurt.

A few of the people sitting at the table laughed. "I don't know what Booth's thinking, hanging out with a girl like that," Josh commented, shaking his head, one arm around Donna's shoulders, the other around another girl's.

Booth clenched his fists by his side, feeling his fingernails dig into his thigh. Clearing his throat, he tried to control his temper - Katie might have been a complete…Well, she was just wrong. But she was still a girl, and he would never hit a girl.

"Seeley!" Katie greeted him with a huge smile, unaware that he'd heard the ending of their 'conversation'.

Booth didn't bother with pleasantries. "Why would you do something like this?" he asked, his voice strained.

Katie's smile faltered for a moment. "Do what?" she asked in a fake innocent tone. "Seeley…"

"Don't call me that!" he shouted, causing her to jump in fright.

"Dude…" Josh trailed off, shooting him a look that showed just how much he thought Booth had lost his mind.

"Shut up, Kettleman, and mind your own damn business," he snapped. "How'd you find out?" he demanded, swiveling to look at Katie once more.

She continued blinking innocently at him. "Look, I found out like everyone else…"

"Don't lie to me! I never told anyone, and she never told anyone. Everyone suddenly _knows_, Katie. People heard you were the one to spread the rumors," his eyes flicked over to Donna as well as he spoke the last part, giving her a disgusted look. Donna had the sense to look guilty, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Booth crossed his arms across his chest. "So how'd you find out?"

Katie scowled at Booth, knowing that lying was out of the question when there had been witnesses. "Donna saw her," she muttered. Donna, wide-eyed, nudged Katie, panicked. She wasn't about to take the fall for her. Katie ignored Donna.

Booth nodded slowly, anger still the most prominent emotion coursing through his body. "Uh-huh," he said in a toneless voice. "And how'd Donna see her? Temperance doesn't live anywhere near her."

Donna looked at Katie, silently pleading for her to tell the truth. She could tell that something really ugly was about to go down here and she didn't want to be caught in the crossfire. Katie was staring at Booth, buying some time she supposed, as she tried to come up with a believable lie. Donna could see that, so she blurted out, "Katie asked me to follow you!"

All eyes on the table turned to her, and she continued speaking, a little unnerved. "She didn't trust you with, uh, _Temperance_," she made a face as she spoke the girl's name. It was the first time she'd actually said it in a normal conversation. Then again, it wasn't as if this was a very normal conversation to begin with. "So I followed you, and I saw you dropping her off. I knocked on the door, and I asked to see the woman's daughter, and she said that she only had a foster kid…Katie wanted to tell everyone."

Booth stood there, mouth hung open, in total shock. "You…Followed me?" he repeated incredulously. He turned back to Katie. "You sent one of your cronies to _follow_ me! Unbelievable!"

He thought about Temperance's newly injured shoulder and ribs. Donna's 'innocent' visit to Temperance's current house could've been the trigger for her abusive foster parents to hurt her yet again, as if she needed more injuries. He shook his head, disgusted with Katie's - and Donna's - actions, turning to walk away.

"Wait!" Katie called out, taking hold of his hand to turn him back around. He yanked his hand away from her, ignoring the hurt look on her face. "Seeley…I was just…I was _jealous_, okay? You spend so much time with her!"

He glared at her. "I'm allowed to have friends, Katie! I'm allowed to have a life that doesn't revolve around you! God dammit! What the hell were you thinking! Following me around, hurting a girl who's just…Innocent! You crossed the damn line!"

Katie glared right back. "_I_ crossed the line!" she scoffed, their voices rising to attract the attention of pretty much the entire cafeteria. "_You_ were the one spending so much time with that second-hand-clothes-wearing, drabby-looking, know-it-all loser of a foster kid!"

Booth blinked at her in shock. "Why do you always have to be so…!" he let out a shout of frustration. "You know what? I'm not even going to bother. It's not worth it."

He turned around to leave again but Katie's voice stopped him. "What the _hell_ does that mean!"

"It means!" he almost shouted, then did that 'breathe slowly' thing that Temperance taught him to tamp down his anger. "It means," he said in a marginally more controlled voice. "That we're done."

Katie's eyes immediately filled with tears, the anger gone as well. "What?" she asked, her voice breaking. "You're breaking up with me for her!" she shrieked.

Booth shook his head. "Temperance's just my friend, Katie," he emphasized. "But you're just…You're not the girl I thought you were. I don't think I can see you anymore, not after what you did to my friend. I deserve better than that."

Biting his lip, he gave what she had said a thought. Even if what she had done was completely wrong, the jealousy had been there for a reason. Sighing and somehow having enough in him to actually shoot her an apologetic, almost pitying, look, he said, "And maybe I haven't been around as much as you like…Maybe we both need to be with other people."

With that, he walked out of the cafeteria, off to find Temperance.

* * *

><p>He couldn't find Temperance at all - not in the library, not in the science lab, not even in Trig where he'd thought she'd gone to early after skipping out on lunch. He was about to leave the classroom to continue his search but the bell had rung, the teacher had stepped in and people began filing in, all still talking in hushed whispers about Seeley Booth's public break-up with Katie Quinn.<p>

Everyone in their class were seated by the second bell - all but one. Booth stared in disbelief at the empty chair next to him - Temperance was never late. She considered it the eighth deadly sin to be tardy for class.

All through the period, she never showed and all through the period, he was distracted.

Once the bell rung, he dashed out, headed towards her next class. He didn't share it with her but he was hoping to catch a glimpse of her, to tell her what really happened. She wasn't there, either, and he was late to his own last period lurking around outside the classroom for her.

After practice - which had been brutal, by the way, due to his pent up anger and his teammates who didn't understand why he'd broken up with Katie - he hurried home. Temperance was slated to arrive at any moment. In fact, sometimes she came over earlier to help Jared out with homework and spend some time with Pops, helping around the house. She was just kind hearted that way.

When he arrived home, he practically ran out of his car while it was still moving, and dashed into the house. "Bones? Bones! Are you here?" he called out.

Pops, who was sitting on the couch, multi-tasking as he watched the news and folded laundry, turned to look at him. "Bones?" he raised an eyebrow at the nickname. "You mean Temperance." At Booth's nod, he turned away from him to look at the TV again. "She called - said she was sick and couldn't make it today."

Booth stopped dead in his tracks from his position near the kitchen - he was just about to look for her in other parts of the house. "She was healthy in school today," he protested out loud, even as he knew the real reason why she didn't want to come.

Pops threw him a look. "Did something happen today, Shrimp?" he asked, a concerned tinge in his tone. "Because she sounded strange on the phone."

Booth sighed, running a hand through his spiked hair. "She…Something happened," he admitted in a low voice. "A secret of hers was revealed, and it was just…It was bad."

Pops gave him a knowing look. "She's not really sick, is she, Shrimp?" Booth shook his head, feeling absolutely miserable. "Just give her time, bud. Everyone needs time to move on from something terrible."

Booth nodded, still frowning, as he grabbed his school bag and headed up the stairs to his room. He was contemplating visiting Temperance at her foster house later on, but he wasn't sure if that was a good idea. He knew for a fact that she was a force to be reckoned with when she was angry, and she had absolutely no qualms about yelling at him. He didn't want them to get carried away, start yelling and wake up her foster parents - that wouldn't be good.

Temperance had told Pops that she wouldn't make it today, but she hadn't said anything about tomorrow. He'd wait, and if she didn't show, he'd go to the library since he knew she would probably be there. If she wasn't, he'd corner her at school on Monday - there was no way he was going to let this, or anything, get in the way of their friendship.

He spent a nearly sleepless night tossing and turning, mixed emotions making his stomach churn.

One moment, he was angry at Katie, Donna and the others for being so stupid - how could someone's misfortune like this be funny to them? He had to admit to himself, though, that before Temperance, he'd probably be one of them. He wouldn't have made fun of the nameless kid, but he wouldn't have done anything to stop them, either. Temperance was different.

The next moment, he was upset that Temperance would think he would do something like this. He'd thought, especially after their recent baring of the souls to each other, that she'd known better. He would've never shared something so painfully intimate about his past to just anyone. And hadn't he proved that he was a good friend by being there for her through it all? Just when he thought he'd gotten somewhere with gaining his trust, it all just broke down, thrown back in his face.

He fell into a fitful sleep sometime near dawn, and was woken up Pops just a few hours later. As a result, he was cranky, upset and anxious over Temperance's slated arrival later on for tutoring. He scowled all through breakfast and, in an attempt to avoid Pops' questions or disapproving look, he kept his face practically in his plate, shoving food down his throat to keep his mouth too busy to talk.

"I'm going to Mrs. Bink's place down the street," Pops announced after breakfast, putting on his coat. Mrs. Bink was a widowed old lady Pops liked to spend time with whenever he could. He called her his 'lady friend'. Booth always shuddered at that, just as he was doing now. "Jared, help Seeley wash the dishes."

Jared, wide-eyed and outraged, turned to pout at Pops. "Pops!" he whined. "I'm supposed to go to Danny's house! His mom promised to take us to the park to play football, then we're gonna get ice cream!"

Pops gave him a paternal glare. "And you will, right after you finish helping your brother wash the dishes," he countered firmly. "And don't you think you can get out of this just because I'm not here - if I come back and Seeley says you didn't help, you're gonna be on bathroom cleaning duty for a week, buddy."

Jared glared at Booth the whole time, as if this was his fault, but Booth barely paid him any mind. They hurriedly did the dishes - Jared because he wanted to get to Danny's house as soon as possible, and Booth because he wanted Jared out of the house before Temperance arrived. He wasn't sure what was going to happen when she arrived but should she start yelling at him, he didn't want anyone to hear. Pops was already gone, so there was only Jared left.

He practically kicked Jared out of the house - he would've done it sooner and insist on doing the dishes alone. After all, a few plates and glasses meant nothing, but Jared was suspicious that Booth was trying to con him into bathroom duty for a week, so he stubbornly stayed until they were done.

He didn't have to worry, though, because they were done soon enough and Jared was out of the house with thirty minutes to spare. He grabbed his books, placed them neatly on the coffee table the way Temperance usually prefers and turned on the TV so he'd have something to distract himself with. It didn't actually work, since his head kept turning to the grandfather clock every thirty seconds, but it felt like time went just a little bit faster anyway.

Right on the dot, at ten o'clock, Temperance knocked on the door. He practically flew to the door and swung it open. There she stood, long brown hair tumbling limply down her shoulders, past her middle back, eyes downcast and face tilted downwards as she stared at her feet. She had a stack of books in her arms, and her big, bulky bag slung over one shoulder.

She didn't look at him as she entered, just past him and walked straight to the couch. "Sorry I couldn't make it yesterday," she said, and her voice sounded so formal it was as if she was a teacher addressing her classroom or something. "I was feeling unwell. If you'd like, we could reschedule to make up for it."

She sounded so damn detached, as if they weren't friends, as if they hadn't known each other's worst secrets…It was driving him insane.

He slammed the door close, causing her to jump, and turn to him. "Are you serious?" he asked her incredulously, seething. "Bones…"

She straightened her back, blue eyes going almost steel gray. "I'd prefer it for you to call me Temperance," she said coldly. "I am your tutor and nothing more. This should remain strictly professional."

He stalked forward, towards her. She stayed her ground, not flinching or faltering, which was impressive because he'd been known to make even tough guys on the team stumble back when he was like this.

"_Bones_," he said again, intentionally emphasizing her given moniker. "I did not say anything. I didn't tell a soul. You _know_ that if I'd have told anyone, it would've been Pops. But you told me not to say anything, so I didn't."

He saw a flash of hurt in her eyes before her defenses went up again, solid brick wall, and she turned her back on him. "I think we should start on English - we have to reenact a scene from Romeo and Juliet, remember? I think the best scene would be the death scene. The balcony scene would be too overdone, and Mercutio's death would probably be done by a bigger group or a pair of boys. Unless you have a different suggestion, of course-"

He stepped forward, until his front was almost pressed up to her back, until he could feel the heat radiating off of her slim body. She could feel him, too, and stiffened, her words coming to a stop. He lifted his hands and wrapped them around her upper arms. She was so thin that his fingers overlapped.

"I didn't do it, Bones," he said, his words coming out softly. He dropped his head against the back of hers, nuzzling his nose into her hair. "I swear to you, I didn't. I would never do that."

She yanked herself away from him, rounding on him to glare icily at him. "Then how do they know?" she demanded angrily. "How do all of them know, Booth?"

He glared right back at her. "Donna Simmons followed us," he spat out, and her eyes widened, some of her anger fading from her blazing blue eyes. "She followed us that day we went for frozen yogurt. She saw me dropping you off, waited until I left, and went up to your house."

Temperance, whose eyes had grown so big they resembled saucers, gasped as something clicked in her mind. "My foster guardian," she had refused to call her foster parents her foster 'mom' or 'dad', finding it revolting to use the term on the Dawsons'. "Said that there was a girl at the door called Donna looking for her daughter."

"I didn't _know_, okay, Bones? I found out just after you did. No one mentioned it to me until you stormed past me. I cornered that kid who called you a…" he trailed off, not needing to finish his sentence. Temperance's face fell further at the mention, and she looked sadder, but she didn't flinch.

He continued. "He told me he heard some of the cheerleaders talking about it. I went up to Katie, and she and Donna confessed. I broke up with her when I found out."

Temperance's head snapped up and she stared at him in disbelief. She seemed speechless for the longest time possible, and he was internally smug that he'd made Temperance Brennan speechless. She was normally very chatty when it was just the two of them, or when Pops and Jared were around. She had a lot of opinions and wasn't shy on sharing them.

"You…broke…up…with…Katie Quinn?" she stuttered, looking for all the world like someone had told her aliens were having breakfast in the other room. She opened and closed her mouth several times, doing a great impression of a fish out of water. "Why?" she blurted out finally.

He shrugged. "She wasn't the girl I thought she was," he said simply, as if this explained everything. "I mean, I didn't think she was an angel or anything, but what she did was cruel. Donna said she was the one who decided to spread it around school…You're my friend, Bones. What she did to you wasn't something I could stand for. I can't look at her the same after that."

She still looked flabbergasted. "Wow," she breathed, blinking at him with large, innocent eyes. "You're…Wow. Um, thank you? Or, um, I'm sorry…About your break-up. I'm-I'm really sorry I thought you told everyone, Booth…"

Booth nodded, still not over his rant. "Bones, I can't believe after everything we've been through, you'd think I'd betray you like that!" he said.

She grimaced, looking halfway repentant and halfway defensive. "Well, you were the only one I'd ever told, Booth!" she protested. "How was I supposed to know?"

He shook his head. "That's not the point! I'm your friend, Bones. And I'm not the kind of guy to betray you, to turn my back on you. You should know this by now. I told you my darkest secret, of a past I didn't want anyone to know of, of a painful childhood I want to forget so badly. I helped you when you needed it, and I'm always going to be there for you! But you just…" he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, you've gotta learn to trust me here, Bones. Because _I_ trust _you_."

"But the evidence…" she trailed off in a small voice, not meeting his eyes.

He smiled slightly, stepping towards her again. "Listen, you and me? We're Booth and Bones," he said, and though he was just stating the obvious, Temperance knew he was going somewhere with this. "No matter what the evidence says, we'll always have to believe each other. We'll always have to have each other's backs."

Temperance gazed into his warm, extremely beautiful pair of chocolate eyes that reminded her of safety and comfort and…Friendship. Loyal, trusting, joyful friendship. She realized then that he was right. Even though the evidence at the time had stated otherwise, she might've been too quick to judge. She had based her conclusion based on one fact alone when there had been many different possibilities she hadn't considered, like someone from school seeing her. She didn't live that far from school and though no one from school lived in the same neighborhood as her, it was still a likely possibility. She'd been too overwhelmed with emotions to think rationally yesterday, and it was something she vowed would never happen again.

"Okay," she whispered, nodding her head, smiling at Booth. "I'm sorry, Booth. I do trust you. I do. I'm just very…I jumped to conclusions. I panicked when everyone suddenly knew. I know you wouldn't do something like that. You're a very good friend, Booth."

He smiled, taking the last few steps towards her to embrace her. She melted in his arms, wrapping her thin arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest. "And I promise," she continued, her words slightly muffled by his shirt. "That no matter what the evidence says, I'll have your back."

He chuckled slightly, rubbing his hands up and down her back soothingly. "Good," he murmured, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm glad."

He pulled back slightly so that he could look into her eyes. He still had his arms around her waist, so she kept her arms around his neck, as if they were slow dancing. "Bones," he said seriously. "I know that, with everything you've gone through and everything you are going through, that it's going to be hard for you to trust others. I know it takes time - it took time for me, too. I don't trust a lot of people, still. But I trust you. I've gotten to that place where I feel it's okay."

She stared at him, confused as to where he was going with this. "I just wanted you to know that I would never betray you. I would never break your trust. I'm patient, and I'll wait for you to trust me fully, but I just needed you to know this."

She smiled up at him, blinking away unshed tears embarrassedly. "I know," she blushed a little. "And thank you, Booth. For…trusting me. And letting me trust you fully in my own time."

He was relieved that they had reconciled, and that she wasn't under any misapprehension about him any longer. It was important to him that she knew the truth.

"Let's get to work," Temperance said finally, sighing a little as she pulled away from his warm hug.

Booth groaned. "Let's watch some TV," he suggested instead, nodding towards the screen. Temperance scowled at him. "Half an hour? Twenty minutes? Ten? Aw, come on, Bones…"

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

Juliet.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>March 4, 1991<em>

It was Monday morning again. Despite being girlfriendless at the moment, and unsure how his usual group of friends was going to react to him today, he was in a good mood. So good, in fact, that he was whistling as he got ready for school.

"You're in a good mood," Pops chuckled as he stacked pancakes for breakfast.

Before he could answer, Jared beat him to it. "Of course he is," the younger boy scoffed. "He made up with his _girlfriend_."

Booth rolled his eyes at Jared's playfully sneering tone, knowing that Pops and Jared had both enjoyed Temperance's company Saturday - Jared had even invited her over again on Sunday for a day out with the Booth men. Just a day out at the park, where Booth had attempted to teach her some soccer. She picked up on it surprisingly good for someone who claimed she wasn't athletic.

"She's not my girlfriend, weirdo," he said, by way of greeting Jared, and gently pushed him aside to get to his seat.

He had to drop Jared off at the middle school before picking Temperance up at the front of the still-closed bookstore he usually picked her up at.

When he got there, the steps leading up to the bookstore was unoccupied. He frowned. That was strange. Temperance was always earlier than he was, no exceptions. She told him once that she usually tried getting out of the house right after preparing breakfast for her foster parents so that they wouldn't have any excuse to push her around right before school.

The fact that she wasn't already there worried him - did the fact that she was late mean that her foster parents, cruel people that they were, had gotten the time to, as she'd put it, 'push her around'? He waited anxiously in his car, shifting in his seat every few seconds and drumming his fingers on the steering wheel in a nervous habit.

He waited and waited, craning his neck around to look for her in case she was running around the corner to catch up to him. He could just imagine her, all red-faced and panting, apologizing for being late…

He waited even as the sky started to lighten, and missed half of his homeroom because he was so convinced that she was just late. He couldn't help the bad feeling rising in his gut, though, and as hard as he tried to deny it, he knew that ignoring that gut feeling wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Ah, Seeley Booth, so nice of you to just stroll in here…" said Mr. Berkeley, as Booth entered his class almost thirty minutes late. "You can find your seat, I hope, or do I need to roll down the red carpet?"

A few people laughed, and Katie - who was unfortunately in his class as well - glared from where she sat. Her loyal companions glared right along with her, though one of the nameless cheerleaders in the back winked and wiggled her fingers at him.

He rolled his eyes, muttered a half-hearted apology to Mr. Berkeley and sat in his seat, beyond thankful that he didn't sit anywhere near Katie.

"Where's your new girlfriend?" Josh asked as he caught up to Booth in the hallway after class.

Booth scowled at him and shoved Josh's arm off of him. "She's not my girlfriend, she's my friend," he insisted. "And I don't know. I guess she's not here…"

Josh chuckled, shrugging. "Guess she's just too embarrassed to show up. You know, after what happened," he said nonchalantly, as if this didn't bother him one bit. _It probably didn't_, Booth thought to himself.

Booth glared at Josh. "It's not her fault you're a torture-loving idiot," Booth growled.

Josh held up his hands, still grinning slimily. "Whoa, dude, relax…I'm just saying…"

Booth ignored him and shoved past him to get to his next class, scowling the whole way. Josh was an idiot, but Booth didn't need to let him get to his head. One blow-up at Katie was bad enough. He didn't need to blow up at Josh, too. He wasn't too sure coach was going to like him going all 'crazy' on his teammates.

Doing his best to ignore the people staring at him, he continued on with his day. It seemed as if his public break-up with Katie was the talk of the school, and people seemed to think he'd left Katie for Temperance Brennan, foster kid. It was strange to him that people would focus on the break-up and make ridiculous rumors about it, then on the fact that Katie and her clones had done something terrible.

People pointed and stared and whispered behind his back. He ignored most of it, though it grated on his nerves.

When lunch came, he hesitated. He had been planning on spending lunch with Temperance at the library - or even get her to come to the cafeteria, sit with him at a table for once. She didn't have to sit with his friends; they could just get a separate table for just the two of them. Now that she was absent from school, though, he had no choice but to sit with a group of people he wasn't particularly fond of at the moment.

He swore a hushed silence fell upon the crowd as soon as he entered the cafeteria. He went up to the lunch line, thankful that no one spoke to him there, and paid for a simple burger and soda. He wasn't all that hungry today but figured he probably should eat something for practice later on.

He went to his usual table, and it was as if the silence grew more intense - he could hear crickets in the background…Or maybe that was his imagination.

When he neared the table, Katie stood up with a huff. She glared at him, spun on her heel and stalked off towards another table as far away from him as possible. Most of her friends followed her, with only a few with boyfriends at the table staying.

Josh, who was already seated, mock glared at Booth. "Dude! You drove away all the hot cheerleaders!" he protested.

Booth didn't bother answering him, just squirted ketchup onto the meat patty and dug into his burger.

John Daniels gave him a look. "You mad at us or something?" he asked.

Booth shook his head, not answering - he had a mouth full of burger as an excuse. John sighed. "Look, man, you've been acting all sorts of whack ever since this Temperance kid showed up. Maybe you should think about your priorities," John said, in a stern voice.

Booth swallowed his burger and glared at John. "I'm sick and tired of all you ragging on me because I happen to make a new friend who doesn't have your damn stamp of approval," he growled. "Listen to me - I don't care, okay? I'm gonna keep being her friend, and you're gonna stay out of this, because this doesn't concern you."

"Yeah, it does."

"How?" Booth challenged. "My grades are doing better than ever, so there's no chance I'd flunk a class and get benched. I'm not distracted during practice, so coach has no problem with me whatsoever. The only problem here is that you can't stand the fact that my new friend isn't one of us," he waved around at their table, to indicate the jocks around.

John sighed, nodding slightly. "It's important, Booth," he stressed.

"Not to me," Booth replied immediately. "Your problem with this is personal, so I don't give a crap about it."

"Booth."

"Shut up and let me eat," he grumbled, returning to his burger.

"So where is she today?" one of the remaining girls asked. Masie something or the other.

Booth shrugged, trying not to show just how worried and upset he was that Temperance wasn't at school. "Dunno."

"Maybe she was just embarrassed to show up," Masie commented out loud. Booth shot her a look, and she shrugged. "What? It's probably true. Remember last year, when everyone found out about Bailey West's dad being fired, and her family being kinda broke? She didn't show up for school for like…A whole week."

Booth shook his head. "That's Bailey West," he said. "That's not Temperance Brennan."

Masie rolled her eyes. "She's still a girl, Seeley," he grimaced at her using his first name. For some reason, the girls always called him that. Except for Temperance - she called him Booth, saying that 'it suited him', whatever that meant. "She's probably embarrassed."

Still, Booth didn't buy it. Temperance wasn't that sort of a girl. She valued her education too much to let something like this deter her. She had big plans for her future, and missing school because of the injuries she received from her foster parents were already a big enough of a hit for her. She would never miss out on school just because she was _embarrassed_.

Besides, he knew her. She was a headstrong, incredibly stubborn, incredibly strong-willed girl. Embarrassment wasn't something she couldn't deal with. What people thought of her didn't matter to her.

It was this thought that worried him. If she wasn't embarrassed, then why wasn't she at school? The only reason he could come up with was that she had been hurt again, which didn't make it any easier for him to sit through the remaining hours of school.

Somehow, he managed it. He sat through Trig, and Spanish, and made it through the entire practice with coach calling him out only once in the beginning. He made it through dinner with Jared and Pops - who had definitely noticed his drastic change of mood from this morning, but didn't question him on it, thankfully.

He managed to wait all the way until midnight, stayed hidden in his dark bedroom as he pretended to sleep for Pops' benefit, to sneak out of the house, make it to his car and drive the familiar road to McCallum Street.

"Bones," he whispered, knocking on the window of her bedroom - it was almost second nature now for him to pick out her bedroom in the dark. He'd bet he could do it in his sleep. When no one came, he knocked again. "Bones, are you there?"

He heard a click, and a faint, sort of orangey light filled the room. He could clearly make out Temperance lying on her bed though the lighting was bad. She clearly saw him, but made no move to get to him. She lifted one hand and gestured for him to come inside. He looked around the window, and pulled it open through a small gap, climbing inside.

"Hey," he greeted her softly, padding gently towards the bed.

"Hi," she whispered back, her voice tearful, as if she were about to burst into tears. She was lying on her side, both arms wrapped around her middle, and her head tucked into the thin, coverless pillow. She had a split lip and a bruised jaw, and her ribs obviously hurt.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked, eyes wide in concern, and it was all it took for her to burst into tears. "Hey, shh, shh," he murmured, helping her slowly sit up and lean on him. She buried her face in his neck, and he could feel her warm tears hitting his skin.

He wanted to rub her back soothingly but he wasn't sure if her back was injured, so he stayed still. "C'mon, Bones…Shh. C'mon, you've gotta tell me where it hurts."

He went back out to his car to retrieve his first aid kit, but he was worried that Temperance had internal bleeding because her ribs looked pretty bad. Temperance refused going to the hospital, though. "It'd only make it worse," she said in a hoarse voice. "Please, Booth…"

He pursed his lips, not liking it one bit. He continued working on her ribs and her jaw, and cleaned up her split lip. Her back, as it turned out, was injured, with slashes that looked like they came from a belt. His face turned a dark shade of red as he tended to her injuries.

Once he was done, he packed up his kit and put it aside. "Are you leaving?" Temperance asked suddenly, watching him. Blushing at her question, she shifted slightly and winced. "Not that you have to stay…"

He smiled as best as he could considering the circumstances, but thought that it came out looking like a grimace anyway. "I'm not leaving just yet," he assured her in a soft voice. "Here…Take some of this." He had brought a bottle of Tylenol, a bottle of water and a sandwich Pops had brought up to his room since he'd bailed on dinner early and hadn't finished his food. Normally, when he came over to her house, Temperance was thirsty and hungry - if her foster parents had beaten her up, she wouldn't have been given any food at all.

Temperance swallowed two pain killers, chugged down half the bottle of water and dug into the sandwich hungrily. "Thanks, Booth," she smiled a watery smile at him.

He nodded, watching her lay back down on her side. "Sleep," he whispered, bending down to brush a light kiss to her forehead. "D'you think you'll stay home tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Mr. Dawson's going to be gone all day tomorrow, so I think I will," she told him. Normally, when Mr. Dawson was gone, Mrs. Dawson generally left her alone. Especially after an incident like this one. Mrs. Dawson liked to pretend she didn't exist.

He nodded. "Okay. Get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll come back and I'll bring something more than a sandwich, okay?"

Temperance laughed slightly. "Okay. Thanks." Her words were slightly slurred as she drifted off to sleep.

Booth stayed for a while, just sitting there on the edge of her bed and watching her sleep. Right now, with her eyes closed and her mind off in dreamland, she looked peaceful. Her face had smoothed out into a pretty innocent expression and if it weren't for her bruised jaw and split lip, she'd look just like any other fourteen year old girl, living a normal, abuse-free life.

He sighed, closing his eyes as images of her ribs and back assaulted his mind once more. He flinched away from the memory, and the hand at his thigh clenched into an angry fist, his fingernails digging into his skin.

His other hand went to her hair, stroking the reddish-brown hair soothingly. She hummed a little in her sleep, and snuggled into her thin pillow. He smiled, continuing to stroke her soft hair.

He had kept her secret for this long because she had asked him to. He hadn't said anything to Pops, who must've found out about Temperance's foster care situation from Mrs. Bink across the street - she had a grandchild who went to school with Booth, and she was one of the biggest gossip on the block.

Pops hadn't said anything about Temperance's foster situation to him or to her, though Booth noticed that Pops had a distinctly knowing, sympathetic look in his eyes when he looked at Temperance on Saturday and Sunday. Temperance hadn't noticed, being that she was _Temperance_, but Booth had.

But her injuries tonight had been so bad, so terrible, that it had made him want to gag when he'd seen her back, and her ribs. The jaw and lip had been bad enough - no one should have to endure that from someone who was supposed to protect them. But this…To his knowledge, this hadn't happened before. She hadn't suffered an injury this bad. Or, if she had, it was before he'd known about her situation.

He was in over his head trying to help her all on his own, and he didn't think late night calls to her bedroom to tend to her wounds would suffice anymore. He wanted to _prevent_ these injuries from happening, not tend to them _after_ they'd been inflicted.

He bent down once more and pressed his lips to her hair. "I'll work this out," he promised in a low, barely audible whisper. He took a deep breath of the scent of her shampoo, then slowly got off the bed. He took the empty water bottle and the plastic that had contained the sandwich, but left the bottle of painkillers underneath her pillow in case she needed it in the morning - from what he'd seen, she'd definitely be sore in the morning.

He grabbed the first aid kit and quietly slipped from her bedroom window. Shutting it close so she wouldn't get cold in the middle of the night, he was careful to make sure no one saw him as he snuck back to his car and drove away.

It was only four thirty in the morning when he reached home, so he snuck back up to his room and shed his clothes, slipping underneath the covers in his boxers and tried to catch some sleep.

He wasn't very successful, his mind very wide awake despite dry, tired eyes, so he laid on his back, hands underneath his head, and stared at the dark ceiling that flashed white every now and then as a car passed down the street.

He kept going through the possibilities of his next move; keeping quiet was completely out of question now. He didn't want to just sit in the sidelines, watching as she got beaten up worse and worse each time, and then have it be too late when he actually man up enough to do something to help her.

The only person he trusted well enough and had enough confidence in to step in and really do something was Pops. He'd done the same thing before, for Booth and Jared. It wasn't exactly the same thing, but it was close enough. Besides, Pops wouldn't turn him down, would he? Not when it involved Temperance - Booth knew Pops loved her.

It was nearly seven in the morning when he heard noises outside his room - Pops must be up already, getting breakfast ready and whatever. Booth rose from his bed, kicking the covers off of his body and stumbling towards the door - he was so tired, his brain was so foggy, but it was as if there was something in his senses blocking him from sleeping peacefully.

Pops was in the bathroom when Booth came out of his room, so he decided to go downstairs and wait for Pops there. He went to the door, grabbed the morning paper, went into the kitchen and made a fresh pot of coffee…Maybe it would soften his Pops up a little.

_Maybe some of mom's famous waffles would do the trick, too_, he thought to himself, allowing himself a moment of sadness as he remembered his mother. Moving quickly to the fridge, he pulled out a tub of fresh blueberries and got started on the waffles.

"Shrimp?" he heard, and turned around to face a shocked Pops. "What're you doing up so early?"

Booth grinned slightly. "Makin' breakfast, Pops, what does it look like?" he joked half-heartedly.

Pops narrowed his eyes at his oldest grandson and slowly walked into the room, keeping his gaze trained on Booth. "It looks like you're so tired you can drop dead, and that you're making some of your mom's famous waffles to get me to do something I'm not gonna wanna do," he assessed, spot on.

Booth rolled his eyes. "That's such an exaggeration, Pops," he scoffed. "I think you _will_ want to do it once you hear me out," he added cheekily.

Pops sighed heavily and plopped down in his usual seat. "Alright, tell me," he said, more than a little warily.

Booth nodded, finishing up on the pancakes and scooping them onto a plate. "It's about Temperance," he said quietly, all joking matters aside now. He slid into his seat and placed the plate of waffles between himself and Pops.

Pops stared at him, concern slowly seeping into his features once more. "Is everything okay?"

Booth shook his head, letting his tiredness wash over him for one weary moment. He raised his hand and ran it down his face. "She's…I'm sure you've heard? She's living in foster care?" he questioned, eyes going to Pops once more.

Pops nodded sheepishly. "Yeah," he admitted. "Mrs. Bink might've told me - her daughter and granddaughter lives with her, too, y'know?" Mrs. Bink's granddaughter went to the same school Booth and Temperance attended.

"Well…The thing is…Temperance is in trouble…"

So he sat there, for ten minutes, breaking his word to Temperance not to say anything about her situation. It wasn't that he wanted to betray her - it was that he had to help her. He couldn't let her get hurt anymore.

"How do you know this, son?" Pops asked seriously, eyes hard. He, too, had issues concerning child abuse, having seen his own son putting his hand on his grandson.

"She told me," Booth admitted. "And I've seen her bruises, Pops. Strangle marks, bruised ribs… Right now, she can't go to school for the second time this month because she's hurt so badly. Her back…" Booth shuddered. "I think she was whipped with a belt. And her ribs are hurt again."

He looked up at Pops pleadingly. "Pops, I know this is a lot to ask, but can you help her? Please? She's my friend, and she's a really nice girl…She doesn't deserve this," he was well aware how very much like a desperate man he sounded, but he couldn't care less. He was ready to drop to his hands and knees, begging, if that was what it took.

Pops sighed, suddenly weary as well, and ran his hand through his graying hair. "_No one_ deserves something like this," he corrected. "I want to help, Shrimp. I do. You know I love that girl…But I just don't know _how_ I can help," he confessed.

Booth stared at his grandfather, biting his lip. "Well, can't you…Call someone?"

Pops shook his head. "I can call social services - see if they'd give Temperance another foster home. But I don't have any proof. I'm just going on what I heard my grandson tell me. I don't think they'll believe me," he said, his tone almost apologetic.

Booth grimaced. "Bones doesn't want to call social services," he told Pops. "She said that her social worker doesn't believe her most of the time, so she doesn't bother…She doesn't want to have to start all over again anyway."

Booth knew that Temperance was afraid that her next foster home would be just as bad as this one, or worse. She was afraid that she'd get sent to a group home, too, because she'd told him that that wasn't pleasant, either. Out of all the homes she'd been to, including the group home, she had only liked one particular family. They had been the only one that had taken her in and hadn't hurt her in some way.

She didn't want to take the chance again, of going through a painful process of trying to convince her social worker, then being taken out of this home and shoved into the next one. She didn't want to be moved to a whole new environment, especially since it wasn't really guaranteed that she would stay in the same district, and have her torment start all over again.

If only it was possible to ensure that she would go to a good home…That she would be placed with a good family with kind-hearted people who would never lay a hand on her. Preferably somewhere close by. Temperance, awkward and socially dysfunctional and sorta weird as she was, was still a great girl. If only someone would see that.

_Wait a minute…We see that_! Booth thought suddenly, excitement starting to grow as the epiphany hit him like a ton of bricks. If Temperance were to stay with them, it would be a definite guarantee that she would never be hurt. Booth and Pops and Jared all liked her, and she would certainly stay in the same district, same school. She wouldn't have to endure abuse, and she wouldn't have to worry about being thrown into a different, unfamiliar school.

"_We_ could take her in!" he blurted out to Pops, figuring that he should take a leaf out of Temperance's book and just speak the direct truth.

"What?" Pops eyed him warily.

Booth nodded, letting the adrenaline of a new, very plausible plan hype him up. It was the first option that hadn't seemed like too much of a stretch to him so far - it didn't involve FBI or kidnapping Temperance or helping her run away.

"Yeah! Just hear me out here…We're not tight on money, not really…And we've got a spare room. You said it so yourself - she's a nice girl, and you love her. All you have to do is register as a foster parent!" he said, his leg bouncing nervously as he stared pleadingly at his grandfather.

Pops stared into his grandson's pleading, eager face. It was clear to him that the bond Booth had with Temperance was a very special one. He wasn't entirely too sure how special it was, but Temperance was only fourteen and Booth was only sixteen…They were still young. They had time to figure it all out.

All he knew for certain was that Shrimp and Temperance were always…Happy together. Whenever she was around, Booth seemed…Lighter somehow. The burden of his past always seemed to bring him down, even without him realizing it, but when Temperance was around, he was different.

Maybe he was distracted - because, Lord, that girl could talk for hours about what she thought of everything, and sometimes not even realize that she was being too blunt. Pops loved that about her and he had an inkling Booth did, too, but it did annoy his grandson whenever topics got touchy, like whenever the subject of God came up.

Maybe it was because of this shared tragic experience. Booth had obviously known for some time now, and maybe he'd felt the need to protect her somehow.

Whatever it was, it made Booth seem like just a regular sixteen year old boy - young, free-spirited, trouble-free. It was heart warming to see him that way, especially since he hadn't been that way for a _very_ long time.

And Booth was right - Pops did love Temperance. Despite her social awkwardness which could tend to drive other people away, he found her endearing. She was a tiny little thing, thin and small, but she was pretty and honest and a good kid. Funny, too, whenever she'd get into a bickering session with Booth.

Pops blinked a few times, hearing Booth calling out for him. He realized that he'd spaced out, thinking about Temperance's situation. Booth was staring at him, a frown on his face. "So…? Will you do it?" he asked anxiously.

Pops bit his lip, giving his mental 'pro-con' list another brief run-through before nodding. "Sure, Shrimp. I think it's a good idea," he admitted.

"Really!" Booth couldn't believe that his grandfather was going to be doing this for him, and for Temperance. He stared incredulously at his Pops, grateful but disbelieving that he'd managed to convince him.

Pops nodded, biting down on his lower lip. "Ah, Seel, there's something you should know," Pops said, lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. Booth eyed him warily, wondering if he was about to spew out a catch.

In actuality, that was the farthest thing from Pops' mind. The truth was, he was already a registered foster parent. He had done so a few years back, after a long and hard well-thought out discussion with his daughter, his only child other than the boys' father. Pops had decided to become a foster parent because his wife was gone, and his kids were gone, and despite the time he spent over at Mrs. Bink's, or with any of his friends, the house had felt empty.

The whole process of getting an approved foster parent license had taken a whole year - social services had done a pretty thorough investigation, asking neighbors and friends and even his baby girl, if he was qualified, emotionally and physically, to be a foster parent. What with the money he had saved up, his pension, a house that was paid for fully, great recommendations from friends and family and, of course, an evaluation that he'd passed, Hank Booth had been certified as a foster parent.

He hadn't had a chance to actually take in a foster child, though he had been approved as one. He had taken in Seeley and Jared, and that had seemed like enough. At first, he had seemed a little guilty that he hadn't taken on even one foster kid. It wasn't like he didn't have a good home to spare, but taking care of two of his grandsons as well as the exhaustion of finding out the abuse that had gone on…It rattled him.

But now, over a year later, with Temperance Brennan needing help…Registering now seemed to be a blessing in disguise.

"What is it, Pops?" Booth asked, prompting his grandfather when the man hadn't said anything.

Pops shook himself out of it, blinking at his oldest grandchild. "See, the thing is…I already am a foster parent," Pops admitted. Booth's eyes grew round in shock, his jaw dropping. "I did it a couple years back, but I haven't taken on a foster kid yet, y'know, what with you and brother coming to live here. But, y'know, maybe they'll let me do something for Temperance."

"You're registered?" Booth's voice was faint but strong with hope all at the same time.

Pops nodded his head. "Yep."

"And you're gonna take Bones in?"

"I'll call social services today," Pops promised, reaching over to pat Booth's hand affectionately, reassuringly. "See what I have to do to get her to live with us, if that's possible."

Pops watched an immense relief swept over Booth's features. His body actually slumped, as if all the tension had been removed from it, and he gave Pops a tired but winning smile. "Ah, thanks, Pops!" he leapt from his chair to give Pops a huge hug. "You don't know what this means to me."

"Now don't get all sappy on me, Seeley," he warned playfully. "I'm not guaranteeing anything. I just said I'll try. I don't know if they'll let me take her in."

Booth nodded, undeterred. "As long as you put out your Booth charm, it'll all work out," he said confidently. "I gotta get ready for school, but thanks, Pops. Me and Bones…Well, we would be really thankful if you could pull this off."

Pops watched with a chuckle as Booth ran out of the kitchen to get ready for school. Maybe he didn't know just how much this meant to Booth, exactly, but Pops had a feeling _Booth_ didn't know either.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

Juliet.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>March 5, 1991<em>

"Shrimp!" Pops called out as Booth shoveled dinner in his mouth - even though he'd told Pops about Temperance's situation, he hadn't said anything about his nightly visits to her room. "I talked to Mr. Duncan, the social worker I'd worked with to get my license a while back. He said that he doesn't handle Temperance's case, but he thought I'd have a good chance if I spoke to the social worker assigned to her. He thinks I could have a chance to take her in."

Booth's face lit up and he stopped choking down his food long enough to swallow. "Really?" he asked excitedly.

Pops nodded his head, smiling. "Yeah," he confirmed. "I'm already taking care of you and Jared, and everything's right here, so I'm good to go…What does Temperance say about all this?"

Booth flushed slightly. "I, uh, I haven't actually told her yet," he mumbled, burrowing his face into his glass of water.

Pops glared at him. "Seeley Joseph Booth!" he growled. "You'd better talk to her about this! I need to know who to contact about her."

Booth nodded. "I'll talk to her as soon as possible," he promised, knowing that this meant bringing this up to Temperance tonight when he visited her.

They'd had barbeque for dinner tonight, so Booth packed a burger and a few hotdogs Pops had made, as well as a few Mars Bars he'd found in the fridge. He grabbed two bottles of water and stuffed them in his bag.

"Hey, Bones," he greeted her with a small smile as he climbed through her window. Her ribs were doing better, thankfully, so she was able to open the window for him and stand and move about. "I've got some news for you."

"What news?" she asked, distracted, having snatched his backpack from him to get the food. It was days like these, when she acted like this, when he knew she hadn't eaten a single thing all day. She'd told him that she never really noticed her hunger until he showed up and she _knew_ that there was food meant for her that he'd brought with him.

He sat gingerly at the edge of her bed, careful to put some distance between them in case she felt the urge to hit him, "I…told Pops something."

"Something like what?"

"I told him about…Your situation."

Immediately, her head snapped up. She stopped munching on hot dogs, and turned her head to glare at him instead. She narrowed her eyes at him. "_You did what!_" she whisper-yelled, putting the food aside so that she could stand.

"Bones, I only did it -"

"Booth!" she interrupted, hands on her hips. "I can't believe you'd do something like that!" her cheeks were slowly turning red. "It's bad enough that everyone knows about me being in foster care! I don't need them knowing about-"

"Hey!" he cut her off, standing up, too, and placing his hands on her shoulders. "I didn't tell _everyone_. I only told Pops. Not even Jared knows."

She calmed down a bit, though her ears were still burning red. He swore he could see steam coming from them. "What on earth _possessed_ you to do that?" she demanded in her haughty, 'annoyed teacher' voice.

He tried to joke by saying, "I thought you didn't believe in possessions?"

"Seeley Booth, I swear, I'm going to kick you in the-"

"Okay!" he held out both hands as a shield, flinching away from her as if she was really about to kick him. "Look, I…" he sighed, sitting back down on the bed and pulling her at her arm to get her to sit next to him. "I can't keep watching you get beaten up."

She stiffened. "You don't have to keep coming here," she said stiffly, misinterpreting his words. "If you feel uncomfortable…"

"What?" he asked, scrunching his eyebrows together. "No! No, that's not it," he shook his head. "What I'm _trying_ to say is that I don't want you to keep getting hurt."

"Booth, it's not always going to be like this. I only have four more years in foster care…I mean, I'm graduating high school in two years, so I'll probably be able to file for emancipation, anyway…"

He frowned at her words. "But that would still take two years," he protested.

She smiled a little at his impatience - very typical of him, actually. "Well, patience is a virtue, Booth," she retorted.

He rolled his eyes at her very Bones-like answer. "Okay, but what if I have a better plan?" he asked, excitement about his breakfast-time epiphany yesterday morning starting to get to him again.

She stared at him in utter confusion. "What do you mean?"

He started to tell her all about his conversation with Pops, how he'd thought of Pops registering as a foster parent, and how Pops had dropped the bomb on already being a registered foster parent, and had a fighting chance to be Temperance's foster parent, according to the social worker he'd worked with.

Temperance just stared at Booth as he spoke, his words causing a dull hum to break out in her mind. The hope that he was giving her…It was something she hadn't felt in a long time. It was making her dizzy.

"What?" she asked faintly as he stopped speaking.

"Bones!" he laughed happily as quietly as possible. "Pops is a foster parent! We could take you in, then you wouldn't have to stay here with _them_."

She shook her head, still upset. "What if this doesn't work, Booth?" she asked, sounding angry. The hope that had come with the introduction of his crazy plan was slowly diminishing, crushed by the despondent feelings she always get when it came to her life being turned for the better. That was only because she knew better. Every time something good was about to happen, she would swerve into a wrong turn and everything would turn out for the worst instead.

"What if we just upset my social worker, and my foster parents?" she continued raving. "What if I'm moved away from here? I won't be able to see you again. Or Pops and Jared."

He frowned at her, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Bones, that's not going to happen," he tried to assure her.

"How do you know that?" she asked, knowing that Booth couldn't possibly know for certain. "Booth…I like it here."

"Really?" he asked dryly, quirking an eyebrow.

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Well, I hate the Dawsons, and I don't like your girlfriend-"

"-Ex girlfriend," he corrected. "Ex."

"But I'm not falling behind at school anymore. I'm doing well, and at the rate I'm going, I'm very optimistic about my college future," she continued as if he hadn't spoken at all. "Plus, I like you and your family. They're nice."

She pulled her hand away from his. "I don't want to risk it, Booth," she told him quietly, turning her head away. "I'm sorry, and thank you for going through all that trouble -"

"No," he said, his tone suddenly firm and strong. "I know it's a risk, but we have to take it."

Her eyes flashed as she glared at him. "I don't have to do anything!"

"So you're just going to let them beat you up? You're just going to allow yourself to be a punching bag for two jerks - who happen to be strangers, by the way - for the next two years because you're too damn scared to try and find a way out!" he demanded, yelling at a whisper-soft volume.

Just as he had predicted, Temperance scowled at him. "I am not _afraid_ of anything," she spoke through gritted teeth.

The thing that he had noticed about her was that she was fiercely independent, and it was hard for her to accept help. Every time he climbed through the window, she'd be telling him over and over again how fine she was and how he didn't need to help her. She'd try and downplay her helpless situation.

But he knew her, knew what made her tick.

And Temperance Brennan would _always_ take the bait if he threw out some nonsense about her being afraid or incapable of doing something. A challenge of some sort.

"Prove it," he lifted his chin, daring her. She simply stared right back at him, unimpressed and upset. He sighed and gave her a pleading look. "Please, Bones. I can't keep quiet about this anymore. It tears me up knowing you're hurt…I have to do something. _Please_."

Temperance bit her lip, unsure. His pleading tone had gotten to her, but she was still uncertain. "Are you sure, Booth?" she whispered, dropping her gaze to her lap and picking at stray threads of her worn sweatpants. "I don't want to inconvenience you or Pops."

He rolled his eyes, wrapping a muscled arm around her shoulders. "Bones," his voice was tender. It made tears well up in her eyes. "You're my _best friend_, okay? You're not inconveniencing anyone." Noticing that she still looked hesitant, he scoffed playfully and added, "Besides. You know that old man. Loves you more than his own grandsons…Remember when he gave you that last piece of strudel?"

It worked. She started giggling, turning her head slightly so that her quiet laughter was muffled by his shirt. "Please," she replied. "He only did that because you and Jared had both had three each, and you'd have wrestled with each other for the last one."

He smiled, resting his head on top of hers. "Are you okay with this, Bones?" he asked, realizing that even though to him this plan was flawless and perfect, it might not be the same for her. He knew she hated living here with the Dawsons, but she might not want to live with him, either.

She looked up at him through thick, dark lashes, and Booth felt his breath catch in his throat. Her eyes…They'd always been pretty. He'd noticed before how they seemed to change colors with her emotions. But right then, at that very moment, with the bright, silver moonlight shining through the large window and illuminating her pale, flawless skin, and a soft smile gracing her lips for the first time he could ever remember…Her eyes were _beautiful_.

The color of navy blue ocean, her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears.

"It's…Booth, it's really…" she seemed to be struggling to find the right words. In the end, she just lunged forward, hugging him tightly around the neck. He laughed a little in surprise, hugging her back as fervently. "Thank you," she whispered, her breath tickling his ear lightly. He fought down the shiver that had elicited.

They stayed like that for a while, just locked in a firm embrace. Booth nuzzled his nose into her hair - it always smelled sweet, like vanilla and coconut, but with a spicy undertone like sandalwood.

She was the one to pull back first, causing him to blink rapidly as he started to slowly come out of the haze her sweet scent had caused - it was as if his mind was all fogged up.

Temperance grabbed the Tupperware of food and grabbed another hotdog. She had her long hair curtaining her face, though he could hear a quiet sniffle or two. He had to smile to himself - she was touched, obviously, but was hiding it.

"So, the thing is…Pops doesn't know who to ask about you," he said, as if he were continuing their conversation without any of the emotional stuff happening in between. "He doesn't know if he should just ask the social worker he's working with, or…?" he trailed off questioningly.

Temperance nodded, "I know who he should call." She jumped off the bed, wincing slightly when she'd jostled her ribs a little, and went to her bulky bag resting against her bedside table. She dug around a bit in one of the inside pockets of her bag and pulled out a business card. It was a little crinkled, with bent edges, but the letters and numbers on it were still legible. She straightened it out as much as she could and handed it to Booth.

"Fran Briggs?" he questioned, reading the name off the card.

Temperance nodded. "That's my social worker," she informed him. "Pops should give her a call, and talk to her. I can't guarantee that she would be much help, but she's the person to talk to if this is going to happen at all."

* * *

><p>"Ms. Briggs?" Pops called out tentatively as he approached the work station one of the social workers had pointed out.<p>

The woman behind it - mid-twenties, long pin straight black hair and black eyes - looked up and smiled at him widely. "Yes? How may I help you?" she asked, her voice cheery.

He smiled back, using the infamous Booth charm smile that every Booth man had inherited since the beginning of time. Even at late fifties, he was still a handsome bloke. "Hello. I'm Hank Booth," he introduced himself, extending his hand for a handshake.

Ms. Briggs, confused, took his hand. "Alright," she said slowly. "Please have a seat."

"You see…I'm a registered foster parent," he started.

Ms. Briggs' eyes lit up. "Oh! So you want to see if you could take in a foster child?" she asked, her voice back to its original peppiness. "That's no problem at all. We have a lot of foster kids in the system that need a good home to be in. Of course, the main objective of the system is to-"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted her as politely as possible. "But I already know who I want to take in."

She gave him a perplexed look. "You do?"

He nodded. "See, she's a foster kid who goes to my grandson's school," he explained. "They're project partners, and his tutor…I really like her. She's a nice girl. I thought, you know, since I'm a foster parent, it'd be a nice thing to take her in…She's over a lot anyway, and she fits in nicely with the family."

Ms. Briggs smiled and nodded as he spoke. "Well, this is a little…Unorthodox, but nothing that can't be managed," she assured him. "Do you have a name for me?" her fingers were already flying across the computer screen, probably about to log into some sort of an account or whatever it was they had.

"Temperance Brennan."

Immediately, her fingers froze on the keyboard and she sighed, hanging her head for a moment. "I bet she put you up to this," she was almost muttering to herself. Turning her head to look directly at Pops once more, she said, "Mr. Booth…"

"Hank, please," Pops corrected her with that same charm smile.

"Hank," she couldn't resist a smile. "Temperance is my personal case, so I know for a fact that she's been placed with a family. A couple, actually, who haven't been able to have kids…It's a good home."

"Ms. Briggs," he started again but she interrupted him.

"Now, I'm sure what you said about her fitting in is true, but I can't just pull her out of a home like that without a reason," she told him with an apologetic smile.

Debating whether to tell her what Booth had told him, Pops bit his lip and tried to stall. "But it wouldn't really be all that much of a change," he said, internally scoffing at that. It would be a big change - for one, Temperance wouldn't be beaten up over anything. "Her foster home now is barely a few blocks away…And our house is closer to her school, actually. And I have two grandsons - one two years older than her, the other two years younger. She'd have friends to talk to at home…"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Booth, but that is not something I could arrange for. Unless there are certain problems with Temperance's current living arrangements, or if her foster parents feel as if they can't care for her any longer, then I'm afraid -"

"She's being abused!" he blurted out, panicking at the last moment.

With wide eyes, he watched as Ms. Briggs stilled. Her hands, which had been carefully stacking a pile of files, stopped moving. Her head snapped up in his direction. "What?" she asked, her tone sharp. "Mr. Booth, that is a very serious accusation."

He nodded. "I know," he said solemnly. "But I have a very strong feeling."

She sighed. "Strong feelings won't make a case at all."

"I saw strangulation marks on her neck once," he said. Technically, it wasn't really a lie. A Booth did see them, just not _Hank_ Booth. "And she admitted this to my grandson. She's missed some school days, too, because she was injured…"

Ms. Briggs bit her lip, looking torn between accepting his words and denying them. "Temperance hasn't told me anything," she said, and this seemed to strengthened her resolve. She straightened her spine and told him in a clear, crisp voice, "She has my card, Mr. Booth. I'm sure if something of this nature is happening, then I'd know. Now, please…"

"Ms. Briggs," he said, just as he stood up to leave. "I know you don't believe me, but this is a claim that I'm giving of a suspicion that one of the foster kids in your care is being abused. Please, just check it out. Visit her. Talk to her without the foster parents around. Check for bruises…If you can't find anything, then I won't bother you again. But I really do think she needs help."

With a pleading look and a charm smile sent her way, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving a stunned social worker in his wake. _I hope this works_…

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

Juliet.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>March 7, 1991<em>

"I'm telling you, she's missing!" Booth insisted, anger creeping into his voice. He was standing in his living room, Pops, Ms. Briggs and two police officers surrounding him. Pops looked worried, but Ms. Briggs and the cops merely looked bored and annoyed, as if he was wasting their time.

"Seeley," Ms. Briggs called out in a soothing tone - he imagined she had to use it a lot to comfort the younger foster kids she had to deal with.

"It's 'Booth'," he informed her in a curt voice.

She blinked, looking taken aback, but regained her composure a moment later and nodded her head. "Okay. Booth, then," she smiled, tucking a lock of dark hair behind her ear. "We have already spoken to Mr. and Mrs. Dawson…When Temperance shows up, they'll be sure to give us a call."

"And in the meantime," one of the cops - tall, sort of skinny, red hair - said. "We have her picture, and are on the lookout for her. Don't worry, kid. We'll find her."

Booth ran a hand through his too-messy hair - he hadn't combed it or even washed it in three days, let alone wash it or style it in its usual neat spikes. "But she didn't run away!" he tried again, running a frustrated hand down his tired face.

He'd gone by Temperance's foster house the night after Pops had gone to see Ms. Briggs for the first time. Pops hadn't gotten much luck, but Booth had known that though she would never admit it, Temperance would be anxious to know even the slightest of news. He'd waited until midnight, snuck out of the house, drove all the way to McCallum street, climbed in through her unlocked window - she'd left it unlatched these days just in case she couldn't get up to let him in - only to find her room empty.

She wasn't lying on her bed, she wasn't sitting at her desk doing homework or extra credit or reading. She wasn't sitting on the floor, or whatever. He'd thought she was in the bathroom, but he couldn't hear the water running. He'd sat down on the floor, back against the bed, and waited for her. A horrible feeling had erupted in his chest and spread throughout his whole body the moment he'd seen her empty bed, a tug deep in his gut telling him something was wrong, but he waited it out just the same.

He sat there, from half past midnight all the way until the sun was rising and he had to run out for fear of someone catching him as he went back to his car. Temperance never returned.

The likelihood of her having fallen asleep outside of her bedroom was very slim.

He'd dashed home, ashen faced and trembling, not even bothering to hide from Pops that he'd been out at night and had told Pops that he feared Temperance wasn't okay. He'd offered to call Ms. Briggs and bug her for a visit to Temperance's house.

Booth had reluctantly been sent to school. When he'd returned home, he'd found Ms. Briggs there with Pops, saying something about Temperance having run away in the middle of the night. Ms. Briggs had gone to the Dawsons' house, asked for Temperance, and they'd told her that they had just found that she was gone. They were about to call her, but she'd beat them to it by showing up.

"Foster kids running away…It's not uncommon, Booth," Ms. Briggs told him sympathetically.

Booth glared at her. "Bones isn't _just_ a foster kid," he said hotly. "She's a girl, who's been fighting tooth and nail to make sure her grades don't slip despite everything going on right now. She skipped two grades, and she's got her sights on college. I know her, Ms. Briggs, and there's no way in hell she'd let anything get in her way of college. So I _know_ that she didn't run away - there's just no way."

"Look, kid," the other cop said, sighing in frustration, as if he was annoyed he had to be here at all.

Booth cut him off. "You don't have a single shred of evidence that she ran away. No note, nothing. All her things are still in her room!" he threw his hands up in the air, directing this to the cops - they'd been to the Dawsons' to check around. Routine procedure, they'd said. "You only have the word of her foster parents. You can't just go on that."

"Like I said," Ms. Briggs' voice was starting to lose its calm edge. "Foster kids running away happen all the time. Statistics show that-"

"Statistics also show that it isn't uncommon for foster kids to get placed in abusive homes, Ms. Briggs," Pops said frostily. "It might not always seem like that to social workers, but it happens, doesn't it? And more often than not, it goes by undetected."

She blushed a furious red at this, and seemed too flustered to string together a coherent sentence. "Well…I…We do the best…I…That is not the point, Mr. Booth!" she finally yelled, anger coloring her expression.

"Then what is?" Booth demanded. "Because right now, you're acting like her disappearance means nothing more than having ten extra minutes for lunch." Before she could dignify that with an answer, he rounded on the cops, "I'm telling you, right now, that my friend is missing for the past three days. I'm telling you that she's been abused by her foster parents - I've seen the marks, I've helped her tend to her wounds, I've kept her secret for as long as I could."

Booth had told the cops about his nightly visits to Temperance, ever since the first time she had missed school and he'd grown worried, so they could know that the abuse had started a while ago. Even before he came into the picture, in fact.

He fixed them with a steely gaze. "What are you going to do about that?"

The thin, tall cop sighed once more. "Maybe we could have another look around," he relented. "Question the parents again."

"_Foster_ parents," Booth corrected quickly. Temperance loved her real parents - ever since that day she'd shown him her family album, she'd bring them up once in a while, and every time, she would wear a soft smile on her face and a sad twinkle would appear in her pretty eyes. She loved her parents, and these _monsters_ didn't deserve the same title.

"Right."

Booth and Pops insisted on coming alone, which the cops weren't too pleased about. They argued, though, and knowing that Booth and Pops would only follow them anyway - the cops had only dealt with them for a few days and already they knew how persistent both Booths could be - had reluctantly allowed the two to tag along.

"Mr. Dawson? Mrs. Dawson? Chicago PD! Open up!"

This went on for several minutes before the creaky door swung open. "What is it?" Mr. Dawson barked at them, fairly drunk.

_God, it's only nine thirty in the morning_, Booth thought disgustedly.

"Mr. Dawson, we'd like to ask you a few more questions regarding Temperance Brennan's disappearance," the thin cop asked.

Mr. Dawson glared at them, "I already told ya lot everything!" He took another swig of beer - a long swig - and swayed a little despite leaning against the doorframe. "They're the ones who can't accept the truth!" he nodded in Booth's and Pops' direction.

"Mr. Dawson, please," the other cop tried to coax. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can prove to them that Temperance really did run away."

Booth glared at the back of the cop's head. Temperance had not run away! Why was he so eager to believe that? He was about to say something when Pops reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Pops gave him a meaningful look and shook his head - now wasn't the time to cause a scene.

"Where were you the night Temperance disappeared?"

Mr. Dawson shrugged. "I was at home," he replied. "I was workin' in my garage - my car's been actin' funny. I got in for dinner, came out to tune the car up a little more, then went to bed."

"Is Mrs. Dawson here by any chance? I'd like to confirm her…"

But Booth wasn't listening anymore. His blood had run cold, his spine stiffening, as he remembered a conversation he'd had with Temperance a while back, after a particularly gruesome day she'd had.

She had been sobbing, her back in so much pain because of the second whipping she'd received, and for once she had just let go and openly cried in front of him. "It was so bad, Booth," she had sobbed to him. "I don't remember doing anything wrong…But he was so angry. And he started hitting me, threatening to lock me up in the trunk of his car…"

He had held her, anger boiling underneath his skin, but had kept his calm so he would be able to soothe her. "What if he really does it, Booth?" she'd asked, still crying. "I-I…I don't want to be locked in a car. I'm scared."

"Shrimp," he felt Pops shaking him by the shoulders slightly. Blinking himself back to the present, he turned to look at Pops, in a daze. Pops glanced at him worriedly. "Are you alright, son?"

Booth felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't answer Pops.

Temperance had made fun of him before, whenever he said he just 'had a feeling' about something, or that his 'gut told him' something. But even though she would joke about it, he knew she still trusted his gut instincts.

Right now, his gut instincts were screaming at him very loudly. It was as if there was an actual voice shouting in his brain, telling him for certain that Temperance Brennan was closer to him than he might think.

Without saying a word to Pops, Mr. Dawson or the cops, he ran across the small lawn and dashed straight to the garage.

He could hear Mr. Dawson yelling drunkenly behind him. "Hey! Hey, kid! You can't go in there! Get out of there, you punk!"

Booth ignored him and pushed his legs faster. The garage was close to the house - the lot was quite small after all - and the garage door wasn't anything complex. He lifted the door up and went inside, looking at the beaten up old Chevy car sitting there. He couldn't hear a single thing but, following his gut anyway, he went straight to the back of the car.

He tried opening the trunk but it was locked, so he looked around for something to pry it open with. He found a metal crowbar a few feet away and snatched it up, trying to hurry before anyone came in.

"Hey, kid," one of the cops said, as both of them reached the garage, panting hard. "What the hell are you doing?"

Pops reached the garage as well, a drunken, stumbling Mr. Dawson following close by. "Get away from my car!" he bellowed, swaying forward with his half-empty beer bottle in hand. He made as if to swing the bottle at Booth but the cop closest to him grabbed the bottle and restrained him.

"Sir, just calm down," the cop said.

Booth didn't pay any attention to them. He gave one final pry and cried out as he felt his muscles strain. The trunk lid finally popped open, and he threw the crowbar aside, pushing the trunk lid all the way up.

"My God, Bones…" he whispered, his eyes falling on the limp body of his friend. When no one stepped forward, he yelled out, "Don't just stand there, do something!"

Pops was the first to rush towards him, followed by the other cop not handling Mr. Dawson. Pops reached over and placed two fingers at Temperance's thin neck. "She has a pulse," Pops reported grimly. "Very weak, though."

"I'll call for an ambulance," the cop was already on it. "Don't move her - we don't know if she has any internal injuries."

Booth nodded absentmindedly, reaching forward to stroke Temperance's filth-covered hair. "Hey," he whispered, tears filling up in his eyes. "Hey, Bones. I found you. Are you okay? Wake up, Bones…"

She stayed perfectly still, her eyes closed and her breathing irregular. She wasn't responding to him whatsoever.

When the ambulance came, Mr. Dawson was already handcuffed and sitting in the back of the police cruiser. Mrs. Dawson, who had been out in the grocery store, had been taken in as well and sat right next to her husband.

"I'm riding with her," Booth insisted assertively, not taking his eyes off of Temperance. She had been strapped gently onto a gurney, and was now being loaded into the ambulance.

One of the paramedics, exchanging looks with his co-worker, nodded. "Fine. But just one of you," he shot a look at Pops.

Pops smiled encouragingly at Booth. "Go on, Shrimp. I've gotta go get Jared, anyway. We'll meet you at the hospital," he assured Booth.

"Hurry up, kid," the paramedic said, as his friend placed an oxygen mask on Temperance.

Booth quickly climbed into the ambulance, taking a faithful spot right next to Temperance, taking her grease stained hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze.

_She'll be alright_, he thought silently, trying to assure himself. Clutching onto her hand, he started to pray.

* * *

><p>Temperance awoke to a beeping sound. Groggily opening her eyes, she blinked her dry eyes a few times and looked around slowly. She was in a hospital room, from what she could tell. She was hooked to an IV drip, and a heart monitor. She felt slightly better than the last time she'd been awake - but her body still ached and her throat felt sore.<p>

She felt something heavy pressed against her stomach and looked down. Booth was sitting in one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs next to her bed, fast asleep. One of his hands were dwarfing her smaller one, even in sleep. His arm was splayed across her abdomen, and his head was lying on her stomach.

She smiled weakly, and reached with her free hand to run through his disheveled hair. After a few strokes, he woke up, eyes blinking a few times.

When he saw that she was awake, he shot upright, fully alert. "Bones! You're awake!" he cried out happily. "I'll call for the doctor," he pressed the button above her bed.

"Booth…What happened?" she asked him, watching him move about. She coughed a little - her throat was too dry.

Booth frowned at that, as well, and gently extricated his hand from hers. He took the glass from the bedside table and poured her a glass of water. "Here, drink this," he instructed, helping her sit up so she could sip.

"What happened?" she asked again, after drinking the entire glass.

He looked at her with a grim expression on his face. "You don't remember?" he asked cautiously.

Temperance closed her eyes, leaning back against the pillows as she tried to recall. "I remember…Sunday night," she spoke, and without really knowing the reason why, a shiver ran down her spine. "I remember making dinner, and Mr. Dawson being really angry. I think he was fired from his job or something? He started hitting me, then he locked me in the closet…"

Booth frowned. "The closet? I found you in the trunk of his car," he told her, confused.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. "_You_ found me?" she asked, surprised. At his nod, she sat still, stunned. "Wha…How?"

He shrugged. "The cops kept saying you ran away," he informed her.

She scowled at that. "I'd never do that," she said stubbornly. "I wouldn't jeopardize my education."

He smirked a little at that. "I know - that's what I told them," he assured her. She seemed a little appeased that strangers she had never met before knew now that she wouldn't sabotage her education and future career. "I remembered you telling me about Mr. Dawson's threat to lock you up in his car. Something told me you were in there."

She raised her eyebrow. "Gut feeling?"

He nodded. "Told ya gut feeling's real," he couldn't help but throw in. She rolled her eyes at him. "I ran to the garage, pried open the trunk and there you were."

She stared at him, gratitude and weariness making her feel a tad more emotional than usual. "Thank you," she whispered, reaching for his hand once more. He quickly laced their fingers together. "For not giving up on me."

He smiled, leaning over to press his forehead gently against hers. "I'd never do that," he vowed. They shared a quiet moment together, just sitting there smiling at each other for a while. "How'd you end up in the trunk?" he asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

She took a deep breath. "I've been locked in the closet before," she revealed. "The next morning, Mr. Dawson decided that I wasn't learning my lesson if I kept repeating my punishments. So he dragged me out to the garage and locked me in the trunk."

He frowned, "What did you do? To make him so mad?"

She looked down, ashamed, embarrassed and tired. "I broke the dishes," she mumbled in a whisper. "Just-just one. The water was so…And it was just so slippery…It just fell and I…"

He reached over to run his hand through her hair, shushing her soothingly. It was clean now, but it smelled nothing like her. "Hey," he said gently. "It wasn't your fault, Bones. That guy was seriously twisted."

She gave him a weak smile, but he wasn't sure if she really believed him or not. It was going to take time for her to be okay again, he knew that. He just wished he knew what to do, how to help her.

"Temperance?" they heard, and both turned to the door where a woman in a white coat stood. She looked to be in her late thirties, or early forties, and had dirty blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail. Her green eyes twinkled a little. "It's good to see you're awake."

Temperance didn't answer. "I'm Dr. Malone," the woman said. "I've been treating you since you've been brought in."

This seemed to spark an interest in her. "Since I've been brought in?" she repeated. "How long ago was that? What day is it?" she looked from Mr. Malone to Booth.

"It's Friday, Temperance," Dr. Malone answered before Booth could. "You've been out cold for two days."

"Friday…?"

Booth nodded.

"I can't believe I missed a whole week of school!" she moaned, sounding so depressed by it that Booth snorted in disbelief.

"After everything you've been through, _this_ is the thing that you're upset about the most?" he asked incredulously.

She lifted her head to glare at him. "It's a whole week, Booth!" she protested. "One entire week. Five days of classes and useful information. I can't believe it! What if I missed something important?"

"Yes, you wouldn't want your straight As to go down to Bs…"

She looked positively horrified by the very idea. "Don't joke about something like that, Booth," she said seriously. He rolled his eyes. "At least I can borrow your notes," she sighed. "They might not be as extensive as mine, but it'll do."

Booth chuckled a little, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Actually…I haven't been to school since Tuesday."

Temperance gaped at him, jaw dropped. "_Booth_!" she scolded.

He threw his hands up in defense. "Hey, I was worried about you…And when you came here, I was…You know, still worried. So I stayed here. Pops let me, but he said that if you still hadn't woken up by Monday, I'd have to go back anyway."

She scowled. "I can't believe he let you stay out of school for four days," she muttered, as Dr. Malone checked her vitals.

"Well, you seem to be doing just fine," Dr. Malone said, scribbling something down on Temperance's chart. She smiled a little at the two of them. "I'd like to keep you overnight just to make sure, but I'm certain that you can be released tomorrow."

Temperance nodded her head, relieved. "Good," she smiled in relief.

She still looked worried, though, so Booth rolled his eyes. "Good grief, Bones," he sighed, exasperated. "I'll borrow someone's Goddamn notes, okay? Quit sulking."

Temperance scowled at him. "It's a valid concern, Booth," she said in that haughty tone of hers. "It's nearing finals."

Dr. Malone couldn't help but chuckle at the two of them. They both looked at her, both a little startled; they'd forgotten she was even in the room. "How long have you two been together?" she asked, a knowing smile on her lips as she stared at them. They sounded nothing like teenaged couples, but more like old married couples. It was so obvious to her that they cared deeply for each other.

Booth's cheeks flushed pink slightly while Temperance merely blinked at Dr. Malone. "We're not together," she told the doctor, trying to keep as much emotion out of her voice as possible. "We're just friends…And lab partners."

Dr. Malone's eyebrows shot up to her hairline in surprise. "Really?" she asked, shocked. Clearing her throat, she shot them both an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry. I just assumed…Well, I should head out. I'll check in on you in a few hours, Temperance. Have a good rest."

Temperance nodded, watching Dr. Malone leave the room with a contemplative frown on her face. She looked to be lost in her thoughts, which gave Booth enough time to compose himself. When she turned back to him, though, and spoke, all was lost once more.

"Why would she assume we were a couple?" she asked, her tone innocently confused.

He choked a little on air and changed the subject as quickly as possible. "I don't know," he shrugged. "Anyway, how're you feeling?"

She bit her lip. "I'm okay," she said instantly. He raised his eyebrow, lips set in a firm, thin line. It was clear he didn't believe her. "Okay, I feel a little sore," she conceded, rolling her eyes. She knew if she didn't admit even a little of the truth, he was only going to pester her until she did. "But nothing I can't handle, Booth…Can I ask you something?"

"When has anything ever stopped you before?"

She scowled at him, and decided to ignore his jab. "What happened to Mr. and Mrs. Dawson?" her voice was small, and frail, and for the first time, Booth realized just how tired she sounded.

He took her hand in both of his, her small hand dwarfed by his large ones. "They were arrested, Bones," he told her gently. "They're being charged with neglect."

Temperance stared at him in disbelief. "Neglect?" she couldn't help the dismay in her voice. "That's it?"

He gave her a sympathetic, meaningful look. "If you show them your scars, your bruises…That would help," he encouraged. "They'd be charged with child abuse."

"I'm not a child," the defense came automatically though she was hardly paying him any attention now. Could she really expose herself like that? If she did show her bruises…Everyone would know.

Then again, if she didn't let everyone know, then Mr. and Mrs. Dawson might be in the position to do the same thing to some other kid what they did to her.

Taking a deep breath, she gave him a determined look. "I'll do it."

He beamed at her, though that sad look still remained in his deep brown eyes. "I'll let them know," he promised her. "You'll have to talk to the cops. I hope you get better ones than the ones I talked to about your disappearance. Boy, you've gotta see 'em, Bones. Thick as-"

"Temperance!" someone sang. "You're awake!"

They both turned to see Ms. Briggs dancing into the room, Pops trudging in after her. Ms. Briggs had one of those false smiles on her face that Temperance detested. It was as if she thought pretending to be all smiles and happy and cheerful would somehow calm Temperance down. It never worked. It only served to annoy her. She hoped Ms. Briggs would figure out that those false smiles never worked for any of the foster kids.

Booth noted that, at the arrival of Ms. Briggs, Temperance had stiffened. Her entire posture was tense, her jaw locked and her lips set in a thin line. Her blue eyes, which had been twinkling just moments before as she giggled at his description of the two cops he'd found incompetent to help him with finding her, had hardened to a steel, icy grayish sort of blue.

The only sign that she was scared of what was to come next was her vice grip on his hand.

"Ms. Briggs," Temperance greeted formally, coolly.

Ms. Briggs was either used to Temperance cool attitude towards her or chose to ignore it. "How are you dear?" she asked, smiling brightly at Temperance from where she stood over the bed.

"She's just been locked inside a car for three days. How do you _think_ she feels?" Booth couldn't help but snap.

"Shrimp," Pops warned, though he, too, wasn't very happy with the situation.

Temperance squeezed Booth's hand lightly. "I'm fine," she answered Ms. Briggs in that same detached voice. "I assume you'll be placing me in another home?"

Ms. Briggs nodded, wincing sympathetically. "Aw, sweetie…You should've told me this was happening," she gestured her hand lamely over Temperance's bruised body.

Temperance attempted a shrug, wincing when it hurt too much and stilled. "You wouldn't have believed me," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I would!" Ms. Briggs looked shocked that Temperance would even suggest such a thing.

Temperance shot her a look that showed just how much she thought Ms. Briggs was an idiot. "You never have before," she said, in an annoyed voice as though she was right and Ms. Briggs shouldn't argue with her.

Ms. Briggs flushed a little. "Yes, well," she cleared her throat a little.

"How ya feelin', little lady?" Pops asked Temperance, walking around Ms. Briggs to smile down at Temperance.

"Okay," Temperance returned his smile with a small grin. "I'd be better if I could go back to school." She gasped suddenly, eyes widening. "Oh, no! Booth! Our English project!"

He chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Calm down! We got an extension 'cuz you're in the hospital and all…We didn't flunk the class," he assured her. As soon as she began to relax and her heart monitor wasn't as wild as before, he snorted. "God! Only _you_ would be that panicked over a school assignment."

He made a face as though homework was something vile and nasty.

"We're very close to finals, Booth," she reprimanded him. "You should be, too."

Ms. Briggs giggled a little and, as though she just remembered her presence, Temperance stiffened all over again, clamming up. "Well, I've got great news, Temperance!" she said happily.

Temperance didn't seem to believe her and just watched on warily, silently. Ms. Briggs continued as though she'd received an eager response from Temperance. "Due to everything that had been happening," Ms. Briggs said, another cheerful smile on her face. "I think that it's best if Mr. Booth here becomes your foster parent."

Temperance's eyes lit up slightly. "Really?" she asked, her tone slightly incredulous as though she expected there to be some sort of catch.

Ms. Briggs nodded. "Yes. We'll need a few days to sort out paperwork, of course, but you'll still be here for a while so there's no need to put you in a group home…Will that be alright, Temperance?"

She nodded, trying not to show just how alright this was with her. She had a philosophy that whenever she was too happy about something, it would always get taken away from her. "Sure," she said softly, looking down at Booth's and her entwined fingers.

Ms. Briggs chatted a little more, mostly to Pops about several things he needed to do and stuff like that.

Once she was gone, Booth turned to gave Temperance a wide grin. "Did'ja hear that, Bones?" he asked in an excited tone. His brown eyes were sparkling and his skin was flushed. _He was like an adorable little boy on Christmas, he's so happy_, she thought fondly. "How's about that, huh? You comin' to live with us?"

She beamed at him softly, then turned to give Pops a grateful look. "I can't thank you enough," she said sincerely.

He chuckled a warm, deep, resonating laugh that was reminiscent of his character. "You don't have to thank me, little lady," he assured her. "Just make more of that pudding…I miss it already." Even though his tone was joking, she could tell that he was telling the truth - the Booth boys had a strange fascination with pudding.

She agreed quickly. "I'll do whatever chores you want me to," she added, not wanting him to regret taking her in so soon. "I'm slightly uncoordinated when it comes to dishes in soapy water, but I'm quite adept at everything else."

Pops shook his head. "Whatever chores you'll have," he said, and his tone was firm as though there was no arguing this. "Will be shared between the other two kids. Just normal stuff, Tempe."

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, causing her to blush crimson. "I've got to go with that pretty social worker - she's got paperwork for me to do," he winked at the two of them before walking jauntily out the door.

Booth and Temperance shared a laugh though he could tell she was still a little unsure, on edge. It was to be expected, of course, considering the ordeal she had been put through not just the past few days but the past year and a half.

He squeezed her hand reassuringly, making sure to look her in the eyes when he spoke - he found that she was always calmer whenever she could see it in his eyes that he was telling her the truth yet again.

"This is going to be different, Temperance," he said, his voice low and frank.

She kept her gaze locked on his, soaking in his innocent honesty. She sighed, seeing what she always saw in those deep, dark eyes. Satisfied and reassured, she relaxed her tensed muscles and allowed herself the tiniest amount of hope. _I hope so_.

* * *

><p>I love Booth saving the day! Thank you for reading.<p>

P.S. Sorry this took so long. My computer was going berserk for a while…

Juliet.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** It's been a week since 'the rescue' from last chapter.

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>March 13, 1991<em>

"Booth, I can carry it on my own," she stated, slightly ruffled by his insistence that he carried her one measly bag of possessions. It was as though she were a child incapable of taking care of herself.

He rolled his eyes and gave her an exasperated look. "Bones, you just got out of the hospital," he stated for what felt like the millionth time. "Would you just let me do this for you?"

She sighed. "Fine," she sulked. "But I'll have you know that that bag isn't heavy at all. I'm perfectly capable of-"

"-_I know_," he stressed. "You've said it like a hundred times."

"Then why won't you listen to me?" she shot back.

"Because you just got out of the hospital!" he almost yelled it at her. Good God, Lord only knew how this girl drove him insane. "For the love of God, Bones!"

"I don't believe in God," she sniffed.

He took in a deep, supposedly calming breath and counted to ten in his head. "Alright, then," he said slowly, so as to make sure his words came out composed instead of frustrated. "Let me do this for the sake of my sanity…You hurt your ribs, Bones. Just…" he trailed off on a sigh.

Her expression softened when she saw his torn expression and sad eyes. _It wasn't fair how well he could pull of that little canine look…I think that's what it's called_, she mused to herself.

"Fine," she conceded, knowing that the only reason he was so insistent on behavior so akin to alpha maleness was because he cared about her. "I hope you don't throw your back out with all that heavy loading," she couldn't help but jab nonetheless.

Instead of being insulted like any other person would, Booth simply grinned good-humouredly at her. He knew when she was being so candidly sarcastic. It didn't happen often, but he recognized it well enough by now.

"Aw, naw, Bones," he waved it off with a scoff. "I'm ripped!" he pretended to weight lift her bulky bag and the box of tattered, second hand school books she owned.

She snorted in laughter and rolled her eyes, unable to help the large grin that Booth could almost always elicit out of her. They shared a smile and walked up the steps of the porch and entered the Booth household.

Pops was right behind them, whistling as he entered. "Don't take too long up there!" he called out to Temperance and Booth as they headed up the stairs. "We're leaving in a few minutes."

When Pops and Booth had gone to the Dawsons' house with her to pick up her belongings, they had been appalled by how little she had. She had just a stack of books needed for school on her small desk, and just a small pile of worn clothes that she must've put on a million times before. When they'd packed, she'd tried to stuff all of her books and notepads into her bulky bag with the small amount of personal belongings she had, while putting in her clothes into the black garbage bag she always used whenever she was being shipped off to another foster home.

That had been the last straw. Booth and Pops had shared a look, almost as if reading each other's minds no matter how impossible that may seem, and they'd turned back to her and told her that once she was settled in at the house, they were going shopping.

She had tried to protest, truly she had, but they'd been adamant. She was stubborn, but against two equally stubborn Booth boys? She had no chance.

"You need a new backpack," Booth had commented. "This one's falling apart. And a new suitcase. Some new clothes would be nice, too…" He'd told her that they didn't have to be all girly about the shopping trip. It was a necessary thing - 'so there', whatever that meant.

"Here we are," Booth said as they entered the room right next to his. She entered the room, her large blue eyes blinking in shock.

She had been in this room before, once or twice. Whenever she was over, if she needed to change or lay down or whatever, she'd use this room. It used to be a guest room - Pops had another child besides Booth's father. A daughter that lived in New York. Sometimes she came over and she used this room when she visited.

The room used to be quite plain - white walls, yellow sheets and pillow cases for the double bed, a dresser. Booth said that it used to be more furnished when his aunt lived here but when she moved, she took the furniture and the paraphernalia that had made the room look more lived in. She hadn't minded - she was just borrowing the room, after all.

Now, though, the room had been…Transformed.

The walls were no longer an off white, but a pretty pale lavender color. There were two windows in the room, giving it plenty of light streaming in. The curtains were a pretty purple and white color with black lace trimmings. The double bed had white and dark purple sheets on them. The large pillows were encased in a soft white pillowcase, and the smaller decorative pillows were encased in silky looking soft lilac colored pillowcases with purple flowers imprinted on them.

To the side of the bed, propped against the wall, was a vanity set painted an antique white color. It was pretty, with a partitioned center drawer in between two side consoles, slightly raised in height compared to the middle drawer. Each console had two small drawers and two bottom large drawers - much too expansive to hold things she didn't have. The drawers each had wooden dottie knobs. There was one wide mirror attached to the vanity, connected right at the end of the middle drawer. It had an arched top. Two side mirrors, both connected to one console, swiveled in to give anyone looking into the mirrors a perfect view from all angles.

There was a creamy white fluffy rug that spread on the floor, underneath the bed and further out to give her plenty of space to sit on if she wanted. There was a small bench at the foot of the bed, with velvet purple seat and short dark wood legs. Next to the bed was a dark violet side table, with a small rounded vase of pretty flowers.

There was a small lilac desk propped up against one of the windows, and she could see that the view was of the street below. There was a quirky little purple striped chair against the desk for her to sit on.

At the far corner was one of Booth's aunt old furniture she hadn't taken with her - a purple chair she could sit in to read, with a lamp standing next to it.

The faded brown dresser was still there - she recognized its design, with its distinctive curved legs and many drawers - but it had been painted a solid, shocking black color that surprisingly went well with the purple décor of the room.

There was a black pine bookshelf next to the dresser, with five shelves and a bottom drawer - she could fit her books there no problem. It wasn't like she had many. This way, things would be even neater than before. Just how she liked it.

She turned to look at Booth, an impassive look on her face and an even more unreadable look in her eyes.

He dropped her bag, propping it next to the bookshelf, and gently placed the box of books down on the floor as well. "Uh…" he brought one hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it awkwardly. "Pops thought you needed some homecoming cheer. So, um, we painted the room."

_Lame, man_, he winced internally. _Of course you painted the room - what, did it magically turn a different color on its own_!

"We didn't really have a lot to do - I mean, we didn't know what to get you or whatever, so one of Pops' 'lady friends'," he made quotation marks with his fingers, rolling his eyes. She almost quirked a smile at that. Almost. "She helped us out. Um…And that's the same dresser my aunt had. And, uh…I don't know if you like purple but you're always writing your notes in purple ink so…Yeah."

She eyed him for a good minute, during which he felt as though he was being thoroughly scrutinized from the inside out.

Then she straightened her spine, took in a deep shuddering breath - and leapt towards him. She wrapped her thin arms around his neck and squeezed him to her as tightly as she could manage.

This reaction shocked him, but he quickly recovered, wrapping his warm arms around her torso. "I'm glad you liked it, Bones," he chuckled in her ear. She had to clench her teeth to stop a shiver from noticeable running down her spine. With the two of them pressed up against one another like this, Booth would no doubt notice it.

She pulled back and, to her horror, blinked away tears that had welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she apologized softly. "It's just…This was very sweet of you and Pops. It was completely unnecessary - I would've been fine with how the room looked like before…And I don't want my being here to burden anyone -"

"It was no _burden_," he interrupted her with a scoff, a gentle smile on his face. His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away one lone tear leaking from the corner of her eye.

She blushed in embarrassment. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "I've never…No one's ever done something like this for me."

He grinned at her, slinging an arm around her shoulders and turning her body around so she could look at the room. "It's pretty neat, huh?" he commented. "Way too girly for me, but I guess, since you're a girl and all, you'd like it."

She rolled her eyes, punching him lightly on the bicep. He didn't even feel it, of course, since she hadn't meant to actually hurt him.

"Why don't you have a look around?" he urged. "See if there's anything you need. I mean, Pops and I just decorated it with whatever Mrs. Bink gave us. I don't know if you've got everything you need here."

She was about to tell him that she had gone on much less before in her life. She didn't need extravagant things or anything like that. This room…He couldn't understand how something like this was overwhelming to her.

But she simply nodded, still a little too choked up to say anything. He seemed to understand, embarrassingly enough, and gave her a kind smile. "I'll be downstairs - I need to fix me up a sandwich before we go," he rubbed his stomach as though he was starved. "Want anything?"

She gave him a strange look. "Booth, we just ate, remember?" she questioned him. Right after they'd left the hospital, before they'd gone to her old foster parents' house, they'd stopped at a nearby local diner and had their lunch.

He scoffed. "Bones, that was hours ago," he whined before bounding out of the room, tossing her a quick grin over his shoulder.

She shook her head, sighing at his antics, before turning back to the room. The pretty room was still there in front of her, as though out of some surreal dream. She tentatively took another step into the room - she was barely through the doorway - and took another look around.

She took a deep breath, surprised that the air felt cleaner somehow, better for her lungs than ever before. She walked towards the bed, so perfectly made that she felt she shouldn't disturb it.

She walked around it, instead, her sharp eyes taking in the desk and the things on it - a small burst of laughter escaped her lips. There were quirky little mugs and containers on the desk, either for her to put her stationery in them or for decorative purposes, she assumed, littering the head of the desk near the window, all with funny images or witty phrases. She had no doubt they were not something of Mrs. Bink's ideas, but Booth's.

She smiled fondly at the items, then moved on to the rest of the room.

Once she had completed one circle around the room, she was right back at the bed. She sunk down on it in the lightest manner possible, not wanting to make a crease or a dent on it. As her body relaxed, sinking down on the mattress, a gush of air escaped her lips.

This…No matter how surreal it was, no matter how crazy it felt, no matter how difficult and stressful and painful the journey had been…This felt right. She wasn't one to go on her 'gut feelings' or anything like that. She wasn't going to start, either, because it was insane to think that the stomach could feel anything.

But she couldn't deny it.

This felt like, finally, for the first time in a very long time…She was right where she belonged.

* * *

><p>Even though she had gone to the mall with Booth, Jared and Pops with no intention of getting anything for herself, she had quickly realized that she did need some new things after all.<p>

The first thing they had gotten the moment they entered the mall was a suitcase. It wasn't expensive or flashy, just a simple blue suitcase with a handle and wheels, but it had given her a sense of peace like no other.

Then they'd bought a backpack for school - that one Booth had insisted on until she caved. Next, she'd gotten some new stationery considering hers were all drying out. She saw a table lamp at the store and thought that it was a good investment - lower bulb wattage meant that she wouldn't be putting Pops out money-wise by keeping the lights to her room switched on the whole night. She'd been known to study all night along. In her other foster homes, she'd used a flashlight she kept hidden but that wasn't good for the eyes. This was a better choice, she believed.

She bought a modest number of new clothes at a budget store - she was using Pops' money and she fully intended to pay him back. She couldn't do that if she were to splurge expensively. She'd never done that before in her life, either, and was uncomfortable with spending large amounts of money.

The most lavish thing she had bought was an antique-styled arch wall mirror. They had passed one of those craft stores and she had seen it in their display window. It was beautiful. The wooden frame was painted a nice cream color, and there was some sort of a decorative, flowery, ornate design carved on the top, making it look quite stylish. It had a distressed, antique look to it that she loved. It was fairly cheap, since it wasn't an actual antique, but unnecessary and expensive to her still.

Pops had had to reassure her plenty of times that he was fine with her buying that mirror - he hadn't put anything in her new room that Mrs. Bink hadn't thought of, and if she needed something that she didn't already have, he was more than fine with it.

Booth and Jared bought things for themselves, too - some games, some magazines, a few new pair of jeans. She even saw Booth buying a new leather jacket.

They went home with dinner - two large pizzas, spaghetti and chocolate cake from the newly opened bakery downtown. Temperance didn't have any chores to do yet so she was free to unpack her belongings and placed her new things where they belonged.

There was a knock at the door and she turned around to see Pops lingering in the doorway. "Can I come in?" he asked, eyes twinkling as always.

She nodded, giving him a brief smile. "Sure," she replied. "It's your house, Pops."

He chuckled. "Well, it's your room," he pointed out. "I don't want to intrude."

"You're not," she assured him. "What's going on?"

He pulled out a small brown envelope from his back pocket and handed it to her. "That pretty lady, Ms. Briggs? She gave this to me," he told her. Her heart skipped a beat in horror. What could it possibly be? "It's for you."

She opened the envelope with trembling fingers. When she looked inside, she nearly dropped the envelope. She fumbled with it with clumsy fingers, but managed to hold onto it, gripping the paper tightly. "Wha…I don't understand," she admitted.

"Temperance, foster kids get a monthly allowance - you know, for clothes, travel expenses, that sort of thing?" his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Don't you know this?"

Her pale cheeks colored a deep red, in shame and embarrassment. "Not really," she said slowly, as though she didn't know how to really explain this. "I mean, I thought the money was for foster parents."

He shook his head. "No, it's for you."

"Are you sure?" she didn't want him to make a mistake now and demand for the money back later. It wasn't as if she was going to be spending the money carelessly but it would be nice to have a little cash lying around.

He gave her a gentle smile. "I'm sure," he said. "She said it's specifically for you."

She stared at him in confusion. "But if you had this with you, then why did you insist on paying for everything I'd bought at the mall earlier on?" she asked, bewildered.

He laughed, patting her on the shoulder. "I thought it'd be nice if you have a few extra bucks," he shrugged nonchalantly, as if buying her things and giving her a few hundred dollars was something so normal. "You're a kid. You never know when you need something. For school or yourself or whatever."

He left her standing there gaping after his retreating back. She hadn't gotten much allowance before - she saved up the few bucks she'd get every now and then, saving them for a rainy day now and again. With the few hundred she had in her hands now, she felt rich.

She turned on her heel once she had recovered from her shock, and moved towards her dresser. She opened up the second drawer from the top of her new dresser and tucked the envelope between a red sweater too thick for the weather now and a pair of old, worn out jeans she couldn't bear to throw away - it had butterflies stitched onto the material. She remembered being excited to buy it. Her mother had been there, on a mother-daughter shopping trip.

She was jolted out of bittersweet memories when she heard a sharp rap. She turned to see Booth entering her room. "Hey, Bones!" he greeted her with a wide smile.

She shook her head at his exuberance even at this hour, shutting the drawer door before facing him. "Everything unpacked?" he asked, looking around the place.

She nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes," she replied earnestly. "Everything's all set. I even packed my new school bag for tomorrow."

She was especially excited about that - the past few days in the hospital, Booth had managed to get her all her assignments so she could complete them. She had them all in her backpack, ready to be handed in and graded, with expectations of nothing but the perfect score.

He rolled her eyes. "You're such a geek, Bones," he teased her playfully. At her frown, he changed the subject. "I've got something for you," he admitted.

She raised an eyebrow, eyes taking note of the way he held something behind his back, out of sight for her. "What is it?" she asked, part eager, part wary.

She didn't want him or Pops or Jared - who had helped with painting her room, by the way, but had not been given credit by his older brother - to do anything else for her. It was all too much and she felt as though she was inconveniencing them. No matter how much they assured her otherwise, she couldn't let go of the guilty feeling this evoked.

He brought one hand out from behind his back and held out the small light blue bag towards her. "This is from Jared," he told her. "It's sort of like a 'welcome to the family' gift," he explained.

She laughed a little, flustered and slightly overwhelmed. She took the bag from him, dropping down onto the floor to sit down on the fluffy rug, her back leaning against the side frame of the bed.

She gently pushed aside the colored tissue material in the bag to see what was inside. She pulled out a pretty block candle. She lifted it to her nose and took a whiff of the scent - vanilla and roses. "It's pretty," she whispered. "I love it."

"He wasn't sure what to get you," Booth said. "But, uh, I saw this one and I remembered your hair smells a little like vanilla. And, uh, the roses…I mean, you like them, right?"

Temperance was very good at keeping her emotions hidden - which was a good thing here because she might've burst into loud giggles otherwise. Booth was, dare she say it, _adorable_ when he was all flustered and stuttering. It was strange for her to see this boy, who was always so confident of himself that it bordered on cocky, acting all awkward and embarrassed.

"I love it," she assured him. She took a peek inside the still-heavy bag and saw that there were two more of the candles inside. "He thought you'd like to, I don't know, light them up once in a while or something."

She smiled shyly at him. "I will let him know that his gift was highly appreciated," she told him in that scientist voice he realized she used often whenever things get too emotional for her.

He grinned, taking his other arm around from behind him. Clutched in his hand was another bag - this time bigger - with the name of a clothing brand store printed on the front. She didn't recognize the name, having never indulged in such things, but she had seen the store's name in passing - Booth must've gone in there while she'd been in the budget store. She'd had to get some private items and hadn't wanted any of the boys with her when that happened.

"What's this?" she asked, brows furrowed together.

"Open it and see," he urged, plopping down on the floor next to her, his legs crossed Indian style.

She sighed but took it anyway, a small smile playing on her lips. She took out a yellow and black striped box from inside the bag and placed it on her lap. Gently lifting the lid from the box, she pushed aside the tissue and gasped when she saw what was inside.

It was a coat, perfect for Chicago weather. It was a pretty blue color, and when she took it out of the box, the soft, warm material unfolded to reveal a long length that would probably reach down to her knees. It had a darker blue, almost indigo colored, scarf attached to it.

"Booth…" she whispered, turning awed eyes to him.

He blushed underneath the intensity of her gaze. "Well…I just thought…I mean, this is Chicago. It's windy all year round. Your jacket's falling apart. I saw this and I thought…Well…Do you like it?" he asked, sounding a little shy even to her ears.

She nodded, a flush creeping onto her cheeks. "Yes, I do," she replied softly. "It's very beautiful, Booth."

He beamed, all traces of shyness gone. "Good!" he said animatedly. "Come on, put your things away. Pops and Jared's already started on the pizza…"

She laughed at his excitement over food, of all things, and nodded. She took the candles and placed them with equal spaces apart on top of her dresser. Her mirror was already hanging over the top - Booth had fixed a simple nail so she could hang it as soon as they reached home. She lovingly placed the coat in her closet, careful not to wrinkle it even a little bit. She placed the shopping bags inside an empty drawer for possible future use and followed Booth out the door for dinner.

* * *

><p>Temperance huffed as she stared up at the ceiling of her new room. She'd found it much too difficult and, as a result, she'd only drifted in and out of consciousness the whole night. A particularly horrid, vivid, nightmare about what school would be like the next day had forced her wide awake since three in the morning.<p>

She turned her eyes away from where she'd started imagining moving spots on the ceiling and snuck a peek at the clock on her bedside table. 4.59 a.m. She'd set it to ring at exactly five in the morning. She wasn't sure what the morning routines in the Booth house were and hadn't wanted to be in anyone's way.

She continued staring at the clock, her eyes fixed on the numbers and the counting seconds, as though she was urging time to move faster, no matter how ridiculous that was.

Finally, it turned 5 a.m. A quiet, tiny shrill ringing sounded from the alarm, not enough to travel outside her bedroom door - she'd checked the night before. She reached over and smacked at the button at the top of the clock, silencing the alarm.

She threw the covers off of her, quickly making her bed so that it would look as beautiful as it did when she'd first laid eyes on it.

Once she was done, she grabbed the clothes she'd laid out last night for her first day back to school. She grabbed her bag of toiletries and, placing it on top of the clothes in her arms, quietly snuck out of her room to get to the bathroom.

She'd placed her shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in the bathroom, of course - Booth had cleared a space on the shelves for her. But there were certain things she would like to be kept private…Like her shaving razor, her deodorant, that sort of thing…Living with the male species would get awkward enough without her adding to it.

She showered quickly so as not to take up too much of the hot water. Once she was squeaky clean, she dried herself off and slipped into her clothes. Pops had placed a pink laundry hamper in the bathroom, between his own black hamper and Booth's blue one. Jared had a red hamper. They'd all preferred their own laundry hampers because Booth and Jared thought it was 'gross' to share. Besides, she was a girl. She couldn't share a laundry hamper with boys.

Once she had dressed herself, dried her hair and made sure it looked okay enough to leave the house and not seem as if she hadn't bothered to even brush it, she sighed and looked around the place.

She had already packed her backpack, but maybe she should check once more?

It wasn't three minutes later that she found herself tip-toeing down the hallway to Booth's room. She twisted the doorknob and slipped inside quietly.

She had to suppress a chuckle when she saw him. He was lying on his stomach, spread eagle on the bed. She could hear light snoring coming from him.

She rolled her eyes and made her way quietly over to him. She knelt next to the bed, frowning down at his face. He looked very peaceful when he was asleep…None of that cocky nonsense. No worries over her, or school or basketball. No horrible pasts. Just an angelic looking boy dreaming of good things.

She had to smile that that. It was good that he had at least that.

She snuck a look at his clock - it read 5.35 a.m. He had to wake up soon to get ready for school anyway. That helped her feel less guilty when she placed one small hand on his bicep and shook him.

"Booth," she called out in a whisper. He didn't respond except for the twitching of his nose. She shook him a little harder. "Booth!" she hissed, slightly louder.

He grunted a little, eyes still tightly shut. "Mmph. Dingaroo," he mumbled incoherently.

She sighed, pulling her hand away.

He was normally a light sleeper - she knew that from that one time he'd stayed over the whole night in her old bedroom at the Dawsons' place, and from the many naps he'd taken during movie marathons and stuff.

She supposed helping her move in yesterday and taking her out to get the things she needed had drained him of his energy a little.

She bit her lip, worrying the soft flesh a little, before reaching over once more. Her eyes drifted to his torso, blushing a little as she realized something that had escaped her before in the dark - he wasn't wearing a shirt, or even an undershirt. His torso was completely bare, his dark blue comforter pulled loosely to his waist.

Ignoring that, and the effects it was having on her hormonal mind, she curled her fingers until only her index finger was extended. She poked him sharply in the ribs, causing him to jolt awake.

"Aarrgh!" he yelled.

"Shh!" she scolded him, turning wide eyes to the door of his room as though waiting for Pops to come running in as cavalry with a baseball bat in hand. "You'll wake everyone up!"

Booth's tensed muscles relaxed when he heard her distinct voice. He blinked against the dark, battling sleep that was still clouding his sight and mind. "Bones?" he rasped out. _God I sound horrible_. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

She shrugged, racing heart slowing down when she was certain no one had heard him. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted in a soft voice.

"So you decided to wake me up with torture?" he asked sarcastically glaring at her once his eyes had adjusted to the dark and he was able to see her.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic, Booth," she waved that aside. "It's already five forty. You'd have to wake up soon, anyway."

Booth groaned. "Bones!" he complained. "I don't wake up until six thirty!"

She frowned at him. "What? Why? That's so late…"

"No, it's not! I have plenty of time to shower and scarf down breakfast. We don't even need to be at school until seven forty-five," he yawned as he said the last part. "Would ya let me go back to sleep? I've got a whole hour's worth left."

He didn't hear her reply as he closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto his pillow. However, he couldn't really go back to sleep - not with her staring at him. He could feel her gaze on him.

He popped one eye open. "What?" he groaned.

She shrugged. "I can't sleep," she told him again.

Sighing, he started to sit up. He threw the covers off of him. "Fine," he grumbled. "Just give me five minutes in the bathroom."

Temperance gasped as he stood up from his bed. "Booth!" she shielded her eyes. "You're not wearing anything!"

He had a moment of panic, hands coming up to cover himself. _What! Since when do I sleep commando!_ His fingers touched fabric and his sleep-addled mind realized that he was only wearing boxers. Blushing still, he scowled at her, reaching for his sweatpants carelessly thrown on the floor of his bedroom. "I'm not naked, Bones! I'm wearing boxers. Just…Wait for me downstairs. We'll watch cartoons or something."

She wrinkled her nose, following him out the door. "Cartoons?" she asked in a low voice. Distaste was clearly evident in her tone. "I don't think so…" Her expression brightened as her sharp memory conjured up last night's dinnertime when they'd sat in front of the TV and ate. "I think I saw an advertisement about a shark documentary on!"

He groaned as if he was suffering from some terrible fate. He didn't bother to reply to that as one hand drifted to his ribs. "Jeez, how hard did'ja poke me, Bones! God, the skin's all red…"

Temperance rolled her eyes as he went inside the bathroom, grumbling and complaining. She knew he wasn't really hurt. She'd jabbed him hard enough to wake him, but not enough to bruise. Still, she felt guilty for costing him an hour's sleep. He clearly wasn't a morning person.

Drifting downstairs, she decided she could make him breakfast. Booth was very passionate about food - he could eat anytime, anywhere.

She stuck her head in the fridge, frowning at how little there was in there. She knew that Pops cooked from time to time, but other than that, they mostly ate out. That was more expensive than cooking for themselves, though. She'd have to ask Pops if he wanted her to do some grocery shopping.

She found some cheese and eggs and decided to make some cheesy omelets with a side of sausages.

"Bones?" she heard, as she was getting breakfast ready. Booth appeared in the kitchen doorway, smiling confusedly as he saw the breakfast she was making. "What's this?"

She didn't meet his eyes as she continued. "I felt badly about waking you up earlier than your usual time," she told him honestly. "So I made breakfast."

"Aw…Bones, you didn't have to," he said, touched. He felt slightly guilty for being such a grouch earlier. "I'm sorry I was all grumpy upstairs."

She shrugged. "That's fine," she shot him a small smile. "I was hungry, anyway. It would've felt weird if I'm eating and you're not."

He chuckled, helping to grab two plates so she could transfer the omelets onto them. He walked over to the fridge, his stomach grumbling at the smell of freshly cooked sausages. "Milk or OJ?" he called out to her.

"OJ," she replied, turning off the stove and grabbing the handle of the pan she was using, moving the sausages onto the plates with the spatula in her hand. She wasn't a big eater, so she just took two. Booth, however, ate like a large jungle cat. She gave him the rest of the sausages, convinced that if she was still hungry, she'd just steal some off his plate.

Booth poured them both a glass of OJ each. They both walked out of the kitchen towards the living room. Temperance placed a plate in front of Booth and plopped down on the floor, grabbing her glass of OJ from Booth.

"Let's see," he sighed as he grabbed the remote. "Maybe Tom and Jerry is on," he murmured.

"What about the shark documentary?" Temperance protested.

"Bones, come on! I don't wanna watch Jaws this early."

"Jaws? No, I don't think that's the name of the documentary…" Temperance crinkled her nose in concentration.

He rolled her eyes, settling on TNT. "Just watch. Tom and Jerry's epic!" he urged. She looked displeased with him but stayed silent to watch, anyway. He considered it a success when she only commented twice that mice weren't nearly as smart as Jerry was portrayed and Tom was likely capable to catch Jerry in a much shorter time than decades (he'd made the mistake of telling her that the cartoon had been around for that long).

"Hey, kids," they heard and turned around to see Pops coming down the stairs, smiling at them. "Whatcha doing up so early?"

"Bones couldn't sleep," Booth said by way of explanation.

Pops scrunched his eyebrows together when Booth didn't explain further. "Alright, then…" he noticed the empty plates and glasses in front of them. "You had breakfast?"

"Yes," Temperance answered, jumping to her feet to clear the coffee table. "I'm sorry…Were we supposed to wait for you?"

Pops shook his head, smiling reassuringly at her, hating the way her eyes had flashed with fear for a moment. "No, little lady," he patted her shoulder as he walked past her into the kitchen. "It's fine."

"Would you like me to make you some breakfast?" she asked Pops as she moved to the sink to wash the dishes.

"Jeez, Bones," Booth joked as he entered the kitchen. "Don't make the rest of us look bad." He moved to the sink to help her.

Pops laughed heartily at Temperance's confused expression. "No, thanks, Tempe. I'm gonna heat up a bit of the leftover pizza," he beamed. "'sides, I'm surprised you found anything in the fridge to make breakfast with. We normally just eat cereal."

Booth nodded, agreeing. "Pops just keeps stuff like cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches," he explained to Temperance. "She made cheesy omelets and sausages, Pops."

"Ah, sounds good," he nodded, getting out a cold box of pizza from the fridge.

"Cereal is hardly healthy," she frowned. "And that cheese was very fattening. You know they have low fat cheese?"

Booth and Pops shared a look and scoffed at the same time. "Pfft!" Pops waved that aside. "Low fat stuff never taste good."

Temperance rolled her eyes. "There's nothing in the fridge," she told Pops. "Would you like me to go grocery shopping after school?"

Pops shrugged. "I was going to go," he admitted. "But I don't know what you like, so I guess…If you and Seeley can go together?"

Booth shrugged. "Sure," he said, hungry again as he grabbed a slice of cold pizza and biting into it - the cold didn't really bother him. All bachelors had to eat cold pizza at one point, right?

"What about practice?" Temperance asked. She was especially concerned with his school welfare. He had missed so much when she'd gone 'missing'. Not that she wasn't thankful for him - if it weren't for Booth and his family, she'd either be dead or still living with the Dawsons. And that was as good as being dead.

But she still wasn't going to let him miss any more of his school responsibilities.

While she thought sports was trivial, it was important for him. As she understood, some of the best players could get scholarships to college due to the sports they played. Booth was definitely _the best_.

She wasn't going to jeopardize his future.

Booth broke through her worried internal ramblings by shaking his head. "Naw," he said. "Coach moved today's practice to tomorrow - I'm good."

She narrowed her eyes at him as though she thought he was lying to get out of practice and go grocery shopping with her, but nodded her head slowly anyway. "Fine," she replied. "We'll go after school."

Pops nodded his head in the direction of the fridge. "Grocery list is on there," he said, trying to hide his amusement at the two of them. Temperance strode over to the fridge and extricated the paper from underneath the cow-shaped fridge magnet. Her eyes scanned the list of things on it.

"You can add whatever you want to it," Pops offered. "Money for groceries is on the top of the fridge - that green tin box there."

Booth reached for it and took out two fifty dollar bills. "Enough?" he questioned Temperance who nodded. He stuck it inside his wallet and closed the tin box, replacing it where it belonged.

Moments later, a sleepy Jared stumbled into the kitchen. "Everyone's awake?" he asked unnecessarily, yawning between words.

"I heard noise downstairs," Pops said by way of explanation, pushing a plate of reheated pizza slices towards Jared.

"Bones woke me up," Booth said, finishing his pizza. Temperance glared at him, fighting against the urge to smile back when he flashed her his charming, cheeky smile.

Jared's head jerked up when he heard his brother's words, and brown eyes flashed towards the pretty girl in the room. "How come you never woke _me_ up?" he whined, pouting. Maybe if he played his guilt card right, she'd wake him up tomorrow. It would be _sweet_ to wake up to her pretty face in the morning. He hoped he didn't have bad morning breath…

Temperance, who didn't recognize the playful glint in Jared's eyes, took it seriously. Worried that she was supposed to wake up Jared as well and hadn't been told, or that she'd somehow offended him by waking up his older brother only, she quickly soothed, "I could if you wanted me to…?"

Booth snorted, glaring at his brother behind Temperance's back. _Look at that! Twelve and wanting to score with an older chick…Kids_! "Forget it, Jar!" he reprimanded, his heart beating a little faster though he had no idea why. "She woke me up by poking me in the ribs. Nothing romantic there whatsoever."

Temperance stared at Booth in confusion. "Why would there be anything romantic?" she asked, bewildered.

Both brothers ignored her. Booth continued glaring at his brother as Jared grinned, smug that Temperance hadn't done something like kiss him or something. "Maybe she'll wake _me_ up differently," he gloated.

Booth reached out to smack Jared's head, but Pops got to him first. "Be respectful," he admonished.

Temperance was still at a loss. Perhaps realizing this, Booth said quickly, "Ah. Ignore him. He's being pervy."

"'Pervy' isn't a word," Temperance blurted out - a reflex she had in situations where she felt much too confused.

Booth, however, was shifting around as though checking for something. "I think you punctured my ribs," he told her.

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be ridiculous, Booth," she scoffed. "No one can puncture ribs with one jab of the finger."

Booth gave her a hurt look though he wasn't actually offended. Temperance seemed to realize it, too, which was why she merely gave him an exasperated look when he countered, "There was nail involved, Bones!"

Temperance sighed at this. "Stop being such a baby, Booth! There's nothing wrong there," she glared at him and grabbed at his arm, towing him away from the kitchen.

Booth's voice drifted back towards where Pops and Jared were sitting, eating breakfast and following the bickering match like it was some sort of action-filled sports tournament. "It's still smarting…Know what would make it better?"

"If you stopped acting like I actually hurt you?"

"Wha-No! _Bones_! You could take a look at my History paper…"

"Booth! You just want to copy my paper!"

"That's not true!" he protested. He paused before saying, "Just one peek! Come on! It's twenty percent of our final grade! _Bones_…"

* * *

><p>Thank you so much for reading.<p>

Juliet.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>March 14, 1991<em>

Booth was enjoying the fact that, because Temperance lived in the same house as he did, he didn't have to leave early. She didn't let him peek at her paper, but she _did_ allow him to watch The Flintstones while she had a look at his homework. It was as good as peeking at her work since she was so meticulous and would correct everything anyway.

"Come on, Booth, we're going to be late," Temperance complained, glaring at Booth who was still perched in front of the TV - or, as _she_ called it, the 'idiot box'.

Booth, who was transfixed with Yogi Bear, protested like a petulant child. "Just until he gets the picnic basket…"

Temperance, with no patience for this whatsoever, stormed over to the TV, blocking his view, and turned it off. "I've never been late my entire life and am not about to start now," she told him sternly. "March, mister. We have twenty minutes to get there."

He sighed. "So bossy!" he teased slightly, grabbing his bag and car keys. Slinging his bag strap over one shoulder, he placed his free hand at the small of her back, leading her out the front door. "Bye, Pops! We're leaving for school!"

"Drive safe! Have a good first day back, Tempe!" Pops called back.

Despite her unwavering excitement to be back in school - if she kept missing classes, how would she ever get into Northwestern and become an anthropologist like she'd been dreaming of becoming for a while now? - another new emotion was starting to bubble underneath the surface.

"Booth?" she whispered, as soon as he started the engine.

"Hmm?" he hummed in reply, not really paying any attention.

"I'm nervous," she admitted. He stopped fiddling with the radio dial and turned to look at her. She wore a serious expression, her blue eyes glittering anxiously. "I think I have moths in my stomach."

He couldn't help a small chuckle escaping his lips. "I think you mean 'butterflies'," he corrected gently, teasingly. He loved the pink blush coloring her ivory cheeks. So lovely. "It'll be okay, Bones," he assured her, reaching over the console to slip his hand over hers.

"You don't know that," she insisted stubbornly.

He smiled when he felt her squeezing his hand - something she loved to do whenever she was worried or antsy. She'd never admit, he knew, but holding his hand soothed her nerves. "Well, I'll be there," he shrugged. "We're partners, Bones. If we have each other's backs, then everything will work out."

Temperance's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Partners?" she questioned. "You mean lab partners?"

He nodded slowly, tilting his head to the side. "I mean, yeah, that's the first thing we ever were to each other - partners," he clarified, feeling a little stupid as he tried to explain his reasoning. "I just figured…It's a good way to describe what we have."

Temperance stared at him for a long moment, her expression completely impassive, watching as he fidgeted in his seat. Finally, a small smile broke out on her face. "Yes, I concur," she told him at last. "Partners imply that neither of us is more superior than the other, that we're equals. I like that definition."

They shared a soft smile that was somehow so intimate, so personal, yet so comfortable. It would've been unnerving if they were 'Booth and Bones'. "So we're partners," he stated again, as though to confirm it.

She let a small, crooked grin slip onto her lips. "Partners," she agreed.

Booth chuckled, his face a little flushed and his lips turning up into one of his huge, happy, 'nothing can bring me down' smiles.

Feeling a little better, Temperance exhaled loudly and nodded. "Okay," she said softly. "Drive - we don't want to be late."

Rolling his eyes at how fast she switched gears, he let go of her hand and placed both his hands on the steering wheel.

The campus was buzzing with the excitement of the latest scandal - Temperance Brennan, geeky sidekick of basketball star Seeley Booth had _moved in_ with him. There were about a million different 'theories'; the craziest rumors vicious people made up. There was one about Booth getting Temperance pregnant. There was one about Temperance being Booth's long lost little sister. There were speculations on what had happened to Temperance's previous foster parents.

None of these rumors were squelched by Booth's bitter, recently-ex-girlfriend Katie Quinn. In fact, she encouraged them, telling people bits that Booth had 'told' her, creating lies to generate more scandal.

Booth pulled into the school parking lot exactly five minutes before they would've been late for first period. Temperance, though still nervous, was being the strong-willed girl Booth knew she was. She held her head up high, her jaw flexed, and held onto her bag, eyes looking straight ahead.

"You okay?" he asked her, shooting looks in her direction every two seconds as he turned off the engine and pulled the key out of the ignition.

"Yes," she replied automatically. "I'm fine. Let's go."

People stared and whispered not-so-quietly as they crossed the parking lot and walked down the hallway.

'_God, look at her. What's she have that I don't_?'

'_Huh. Wearing better clothes than those holey rags she wore before. Already exploiting money from the Booths_.'

'_She's a _total_ home wrecker_.'

'_Bet she's enjoying the whole incestuous relationship thing_.'

Booth and Temperance could hear them, of course - they weren't exactly quiet. But neither acknowledged it other than the frown that was etched onto Temperance's face and Booth's arm squeezing her tighter to his side.

"Temperance!" Mr. Haversham greeted as soon as the duo entered the lab. He beamed at her. "I didn't know you were returning today."

Temperance nodded her head, "Did you get all my assignments?" She sounded worried, as though him not getting her homework on time would bring about the end of the world as she knew it.

He chuckled and nodded. "Booth brought it all in on time," he assured her. "I was impressed - you managed to get the highest scores even when you're…Uh, indisposed."

She took that as a compliment, beaming at him before following Booth to their lab table. "What, you didn't think I could handle a simple job like bringing your work to school and handing them in?" he asked her sarcastically, playfully glaring at her.

She rolled her eyes. "I was just checking," she defended her actions.

She was visibly happier as soon as the second bell rang and Mr. Haversham clapped his hands together, announcing that they would be moving on to dissections today.

Everything was going well - he'd figured out that as long as he stuck by her side, no one would say anything to her, or him. Instead, they'd just gawk, point and whisper. She, being the independent feminist that she was, had glowered at him and told him that in no uncertain terms was she to be mistaken as one of those damsels who needed a boy-type prince to save the day. She'd be fine on her own.

Of course, they had their classes together so far so there really wasn't much she could do about him staying by her side. Then there was the fact that she was actually grateful he was there - not that she'd ever admit that to anyone, out loud or otherwise. Not even to herself.

Then came third period.

Temperance was headed to AP French. Booth was headed to Spanish.

He was hesitant to leave her alone. "Booth, just go," she urged. "You can't skip a class and Mademoiselle Dupont probably won't allow you to sit in her class when you're not taking it."

They were standing outside her AP French class, her leaning against the wall next to the open door and him standing in front of her, barely a few inches between them. Their close position was a good call for their private conversation, what with so many nosy ears eagerly trying to hear anything they had to say to each other.

He frowned as he glanced at the people trailing into the classroom, one by one walking by slowly, shamelessly staring at Booth and Temperance as though they expected some huge, scandalous event to just happen at that very moment.

"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly. "They can be cruel, Bones…"

She snorted a little sardonically. "Yes, I remember," she said pointedly, obviously referring to the time everyone had found out about her being a foster child.

He winced in response. "Sorry," he offered her an apologetic smile.

She sighed, brushing hair away from her face. "Booth, don't be sorry," she said in a much gentler, much calmer voice than before. "That wasn't your fault. And this…It's inevitable. You know they'll be cruel, but I am strong. I can handle it."

He smiled at her. _I am strong_. How very astute. He knew she was strong. No one could've gone through what she had, survived it and not be strong. "Okay," he conceded softly. "Just… Whatever they say to you. Every mean thing they say…It's not true, Bones. I need you to promise me that you'll ignore them."

She laced her finger with his. "I promise."

With that, as a parting word, they smiled once more at each other - as a form of encouragement - and went their separate ways. Booth left for Spanish class, and Temperance steeled herself and entered AP French with a strong determination not to let anyone ruin her newfound freedom.

The moment she entered the classroom, every head turned towards her, every pair of eyes riveted on her. It was uncanny to be the center of attention so loudly. It made her feel self-conscious, as though everyone was waiting for her to fall on her face.

It was strange. Before Booth, she was invisible. Sometimes, on the rare occasion, some hot-headed jock or a whiny popular girl would catch sight of her. They'd recognize her 'loser qualities' and they'd make fun of her. But that died down easily enough - this was _high school_. There were plenty of losers and geeks and nerds to make fun of. She was still invisible amongst the many.

Then Booth came along…Perhaps it was his own popularity that propelled unwanted attention unto her. Whatever it was, she didn't like the shining spotlight. It wasn't a good sort of a spotlight.

No matter what, though, she couldn't bring herself to resent her one and only friend. He was too good, too kind-hearted, too much of a good soul even if he didn't see it himself. He was as broken as her, and ten times as brilliant. Well, not academically, of course, but in everything else.

Temperance slid into her seat, quiet and desperately trying to blend in with the shadows. She didn't need any more humiliating incidents to occur.

Of course, she wasn't stupid. She knew she would be mortified about a million more times before her high school graduation.

That didn't mean that, against her better judgment, she didn't hope for the opposite.

"So," she heard, and looked up to see Donna Simmons standing in front of her. There were two other girls flanking Donna's sides, though Katie Quinn, Booth's ex-girlfriend - she felt nauseous just thinking that - wasn't one of them. Katie, she remembered didn't have this class.

Donna looked livid and disgusted at Temperance, though she had no idea what she had ever done to her to garner such an ugly emotion. Katie being angry with her, she could understand. After all, the dim-witted girl was probably under the impression that Temperance had broken the relationship she'd had with Booth. If only she wasn't such a petty, cruel girl than Booth might've liked her better.

"Yes?" Temperance asked, not even the slightest bit afraid of Donna. What could she really do? Say some harsh words? Give some sort of ridiculous threat that would never come to fruition? High school was such a cliché these days…

Donna glowered when she realized that Temperance wasn't cowering away from her like the meek little thing she was. "You're happy about all this, aren't you, you little home-wrecker?" she spat out, vividly aware of those around them listening in with bated breath and wide, curious eyes. She smiled internally - there was nothing quite like being right smack dab in the center of the latest juicy scandal.

Temperance frowned at her. "If you're referring to Booth breaking up with Katie," she started.

"Of course she is!" the girl on Donna's left hissed, glaring at Temperance with the same intensity as Donna.

Temperance ignored her. "Then I have nothing to do with that," she continued as though she hadn't been interrupted. "From what Booth told me, he wasn't very happy with her malicious behavior and thought her to be a cruel person. Booth would never like a cruel person."

Donna slapped her hands on Temperance's desk, narrowing her eyes into slits. "You'd better watch it, Brennan," she said in a low voice. "No one in this school is on your side."

One of the other girls gave a shrill little laugh. "Look at her, the dirty whore. All turned on by the whole incest thing," she giggled.

"Incest?" Donna asked, confused.

"Yeah, I mean…They're foster siblings now. That makes them brother and sister, right?"

Donna and Katie rolled their eyes at that but nodded anyway. "Incest freak," she spat out at Temperance, who flinched back unwillingly.

"Alright, class!" crowed Mademoiselle Dupont as she gracefully danced into the class, unaware of what had transpired just moments before. "Let's get started!"

Donna straightened up and, with an angelic smile plastered on her face, delivered a fake apology to the teacher for standing up and slid into her seat.

Temperance stared after her, confused. _Why would anyone need sides_? Temperance wondered to herself. Booth's break-up was between himself and Katie, and though Katie's actions towards Temperance had been the catalyst, it had only opened Booth's eyes to his ex-girlfriend's evil actions. Not even Temperance was involved. Not directly, at least.

These other people were in no way a part of this at all.

She found out, as soon as the bell rang and Mademoiselle Dupont had her back turned, that this wasn't the case at all. Apparently, everyone was involved.

People shot her dirty stares as they passed, already creating up their own stories behind the break-up in their minds, Donna's words about her being a 'home-wrecker' no doubt at the forefront of their minds.

She kept her head low, packing her things as quickly as possible. It was lunch time now - she'd wanted to continue her routine of eating in the library, hidden in the stacks. But Booth wouldn't hear of it. He'd insisted that she came with him to the cafeteria, sit at a table with him and eat next to him. She'd been reluctant, but he'd persuaded her, saying that they'd get their own table and wouldn't have to sit with anyone else.

She didn't want to take him away from his friends - he needed those and she couldn't be the only person he interacted with. It would drive him crazy. Besides, she'd turned his life upside down enough already.

Still, he wouldn't have any of it.

He'd told her over and over again to wait for him at her locker so that they could walk together to the cafeteria. She was a little miffed that he didn't think she could find the cafeteria on her own, but she wasn't all that keen on going in there alone, anyway.

She kept her eyes on the floor, only looking up once or twice to make sure she wouldn't bump into anyone accidentally, and walked briskly in the direction of her locker. She reached into her backpack to get her Trig book - she didn't have any homework tonight and didn't have to revise for any upcoming test. Sure, finals were near, but her notes were much more extensive and thorough than the textbook. She rooted around for her book, but was startled when her bag was ripped from her arm and thrown to the floor, her books and papers scattering from the open zip.

She looked up just as someone placed a hand on her shoulders and shoved her. She gasped, falling sideways to the floor, her shoulder and side hitting the metal lockers painfully.

Someone laughed, a few voices really, and she looked up to see Katie glaring at her, a somewhat triumphant grin on her face. Her lips were curled back to reveal shiny white teeth, more of a snarl than a smile.

"What…You _pushed _me?" Temperance asked, her brows knitted together and a shocked expression flitting across her features as she stood up slowly. She'd expected harsh words, even being shunned by her peers more than she'd already been previously but she had not anticipated physical action being taken against her. It seemed so surreal to think it was happening to her.

Katie raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow at her. "Oh, you think that's bad?" she asked, a clearly rhetorical question. She stepped forward and shoved Temperance backwards so that her back hit the cold metal behind her. "You haven't seen anything yet."

Before Temperance could say anything else, Katie's hand had lashed out and hit her across the cheek. Temperance heard the loud 'smack' of flesh hitting flesh seconds before the pain actually registered.

Because of her history of abuse, this wasn't anything Temperance couldn't handle. But the thought that this was happening in school instead of in a foster home was…Mind-boggling.

"What are you doing?" Temperance yelped in shock, pushing Katie away. Or, at least, she tried to. Temperance was thinner and less stronger than the sprightly girl - especially since she hadn't really regained the healthy weight she should have.

"Hey, babe!" she heard and turned to see one of the jocks at the school - Darrel Erickson - jogging up to them. As soon as Darrel reached the group of girls, his arm went around Katie's shoulders. "Whaddup with the nerd?"

"Just teaching her a lesson," Katie said in an extremely calm voice, smirking in Temperance's direction as she did so.

Darrel chuckled, rolling his eyes at Katie's reply. His eyes darted back to Temperance and one hand reached out to brush away a strand of her brown hair. "She's sorta pretty," he said, his tone almost surprised.

Temperance flinched away from his touch.

Katie's head snapped around and she glowered at Darrel. "No, she's not," she all but snarled, reaching out to smack his hand away from Temperance's face. She'd already lost Booth to the little home-wrecker. Darrel was the next best thing - she wasn't losing him, too.

Donna, on Katie's right, stepped forward and shoved Temperance on the shoulder. "Yeah," she agreed like the loyal follower that she was. "She's beyond ordinary."

The words stung more than their actions. Mostly because she knew they were right. She _was_ beyond ordinary. She had plain brown hair, and her blue eyes were sort of dull at times…Her skin wasn't nice and tan like Katie's, or a rich warm brown like Donna's. They were just a really pale white. The only thing about herself that she remotely liked, the only thing she wasn't in any way ordinary was her brain. She was extraordinarily intelligent.

And there was no way in metaphorical hell was she going to allow some dim-witted teenaged cheerleaders and an equally brawn-but-no-brains jock walk all over her.

"Just leave me alone," she muttered angrily, pushing past Donna, Katie and Darrel. _Oh, nice comeback, Temperance_, she internally winced. Bending down, she went to retrieve her books and notes.

She felt Katie's foot connecting with her ribs, and she gasped, wincing painfully. Her hands loosened their grip on the Trig book she'd just picked up.

"Temperance!" she heard, and this time, she sighed in relief. _That_ voice she would recognize anywhere.

"Hey! Get the hell away from her!" Booth yelled, breaking into a run. He'd just rounded the corner to the familiar hallway where Temperance's locker was and had caught the scene with Donna insulting Temperance and Katie actually kicking his best friend in the ribs. _God! What the hell was wrong with that girl! She needs therapy or something_.

Katie had started at Booth's loud, angry voice but Darrel - probably a little high, like he always was - merely laughed and slugged Booth on the arm. "Aw, come on, man," he chuckled. "Let the girls have their fun."

Booth shoved him away roughly, glaring at him. "What the hell's the matter with you!" he asked angrily.

Darrel eyed him like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You know, you've been a real ass these past few months," he said. "Blowing off all your friends, getting worked up at practice, ditching Katie…But this one takes the cake. You actually _standing up_ for this trash?"

Before Darrel knew it, Booth had his fist drawn and thrown forward, a punch right to the jaw. Darrel stumbled backwards and hit the locker, but he was fast to recover.

Temperance scrambled to her feet. "Booth!" she called out, eyes wide. She didn't want him to get into any trouble - she knew the school suspended students for fighting and, if it was bad enough, they even expel. Booth didn't need that. Not now, not ever. "Booth, stop!"

She made to move forward but Donna flung out an arm to stop her. "Don't you think you've done enough?" she asked, shoving Temperance backwards roughly. She used more force now than before, causing Temperance to fall on her behind and slide back a few feet on the newly waxed floor.

Katie, smiling maliciously at Temperance and looking not at all concerned about the scuffling boys behind her, bent to retrieve Temperance's notes. Her long, manicured nails clawed around the papers, crinkling them up. "Let's see how you can pass finals with your notes all covered in garbage," she spat out.

"No, wait!" Temperance yelled out, half crawling, half running in a crouch towards Katie. All she intended was to grab the papers out of Katie's reach but she ended up tripping on the slippery floor and knocking Katie down.

Katie, of course, screamed bloody murder. Her 'minions', as Booth sometimes called them, darted forward as though trying to defend her from a hellish monster.

"WHAT," a loud voice boomed, causing all of them to jump out of their skin and freeze on the spot. "Is going on here!"

They turned, only to find themselves staring into the eyes of Principal McKinley. Mr. Haversham and Ms. Durham were flanking him, all three staring at the sight before them in utter shock.

There, in the hallway, was Seeley Booth and Darrel Erickson, locked in merry fisticuffs. To their left was Temperance Brennan, their school's most prized student, half on top of a shocked Katie Quinn lying on the floor, half being roughly pulled to a standing position by two other girls. Books and notes littered the corridor. There were even a few passers-by just standing around and watching the scuffle occurring.

Seeing red with his head throbbing painfully, Principal McKinley glared at all six students balefully. "All of you! My office! NOW!" _I hate students…_

Slowly, Booth released Darrel from the headlock he'd had him in. Donna and her friend released Temperance who hurriedly, scrambled off of Katie, her entire body shaking with nerves. Katie, glaring at Temperance, got up off the floor with the help of Donna.

"Temperance," Booth murmured, darting forward to kneel by her side. She gave him a nerve-wrecked smile before grabbing the notes she was surrounded with. He helped, grabbing her bag and her books and stuffing them inside. "Are you alright?" he asked in a low tone, eyes darting towards the principal every few seconds to make sure he wasn't majorly pissing him off or anything.

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, standing up and getting her bag from him. Slinging it over her shoulder, she stepped towards him, a concerned glint in her eyes. "Are you alright?" she winced as her fingers lingered just a breadth away from the bruise on his jaw.

"I'm okay," he nodded, smiling a little at the tenderness in her pretty blue eyes. "Really, Bones. Are you sure you're not hurt?" He knew her tendency to say 'I'm fine' even when she wasn't; some sort of heroic attempt to be braver than necessary.

She blushed a little that he'd caught her lie. "My ribs sting a little," she admitted. Seeing the worried expression he wore, she quickly added, "But nothing really bad. You, on the other hand, are suffering from a black eye. We should get some ice on that…"

"Ms. Brennan, Mr. Booth!" they heard Principal McKinley shout impatiently. "I don't have all day!"

Silently, they turned and trudged towards the principal, sharing similar sullen looks.

* * *

><p>"I will not tolerate such behavior!" Principal McKinley was red in the face, almost a purple color, and he paced back and forth in his office. The space seemed so small now, with so many people in it. "Six of you all trading fisticuffs! Ridiculous!"<p>

There was a knock at the door, alerting them to a newcomer. "Excuse me? Principal McKinley? I'm Hank Booth. Seeley's and Temperance's guardian."

"Yes! Please, come in!" Principal McKinley gestured for Pops to enter. "Have a seat, Mr. Booth."

"Just Hank, please," Pops gave a small, tight smile. "You said they were _both_ in a fight?" his voice sounded incredulous.

His grandson, he could believe. It wasn't as if Shrimp hadn't been in a fight or two in his short life. Boys would be boys, he supposed. And he did have a short fuse, something Pops could only believe came from his past with his father.

But Temperance? Sweet, awkward, shy Temperance? _That_ was just bull.

Principal McKinley nodded, his expression grim. "Yes, it was unexpected to me, too," he nodded in agreement. "It's something that I can't allow to go unpunished, Hank. I'm sure you understand. It's just an outrage!"

Pops nodded his head, his expression matching that of the principal's. "But what caused it?" he asked, frowning heavily. "They can't all suddenly decide to fight each other spontaneously."

"It was her!" Katie blurted out, pointing one lone finger at Temperance. "She started it!"

"What!" Booth cried out in disbelief, at the same time that Temperance denied, "That's completely untrue!"

"Why don't we hear everyone's account of the incident?" Ms. Tierney, the guidance counselor, suggested, not wanting the kids to start arguing.

"Fine," Temperance stated coolly.

"Wait a minute," Katie said, glaring at Temperance. "Why does she get to start first?"

"I have an eidetic memory," Temperance said, her voice smug as if she was boasting. "It would seem sensible for the person with photographic memory to recount the details, would it not?"

"But you could be making it all up," Donna protested.

Booth snorted. "Please," he scoffed. "Like you weren't planning on doing just that."

"Objection, your honor! That is an unjustified accusation!" Darrel piped up. When everyone looked at him, he shrugged, grinning sloppily. "My mom watches a lot of those lawyer shows."

"I'd just like to say that any punishment given to Donna and I are totally going to affect the cheerleading squad," Katie interrupted before Temperance could say anything.

A gentle knock at the door and a quiet, "Um, excuse me?" caused Principal McKinley to go 'thank the heavens' in his head - he _really_ hated being the principal of a school infested with hormone-addled teenagers.

In came a quiet, timid-looking girl. She had mousy dirty blonde hair and green eyes. She was sort of short, and thin. "Um, I'm Amy," the girl stuttered. "Daniels. Amy Daniels."

Temperance recognized Amy - she was in a few classes with her. Amy was smart enough, and quiet. Temperance never really said anything to her but they smiled at each other sometimes, and said hello but that was it. She'd borrowed notes from Amy, just this morning, since Amy was one of the smarter kids in her grade.

"Ms. Daniels, what can I do for you?" Principal McKinley asked in a weary voice.

"I just thought I could help…I saw what happened in the hallway from start to finish…" Amy blushed fire engine red when everyone's eyes turned to her. She cowered a little under Katie Quinn's intense glare but held strong - Temperance was a good person. Awkward and sometimes a little morbid, but kind just the same. They weren't friends. They didn't hang out or talk every time but they still compared notes on their classes sometimes and even smiled and said hi when they passed each other in the hallway.

She knew that school was important to Temperance, just like it was to her. And Temperance had worked twice as hard as her to get where she was - she'd skipped two grades, which mustn't have been easy. Amy couldn't let her hard work go to waste for something that wasn't her fault.

Ms. Tierney, the always-perky guidance counselor, smiled brightly at Amy. "That's great, Amy!" she chirped. "Come here…Why don't we start with an eye-witness?" Principal McKinley simply nodded once in approval. "Alright, tell us. You were in the hallway…" she prompted.

Amy nodded. "I was going to find Temperance," she admitted. "I thought I'd start with her locker…"

Fifteen minutes later, Temperance and Booth were the only two kids involved that were allowed to leave. Pops and Amy followed them out. Once they were a respectable distance away from the office, Temperance gave Amy a grateful smile.

"Thank you for that, Amy," she said sincerely. Thanking people wasn't one of the things she did often so it sounded strange on her lips. "I really wasn't looking forward to getting punished for something I didn't do."

Amy chuckled a little. "Oh, no problem," she waved it aside. "I figured, if something like this were to ever happen to me, you'd do the same. And just so you know," she added after a small pause. "The others in there don't know what they're talking about."

Temperance nodded, a slight frown on her face. "They're quite stupid sometimes, yes," she agreed.

Booth rolled his eyes. "Uh, I don't think that's what she meant, Bones," he grinned down at her fondly when her eyes widened a little in surprise.

"Oh?"

Amy nodded. "It's just…I think they're just jealous," she smiled a little. "And even if the rumors that you and Booth are romantically involved are true, it wouldn't be an incestuous relationship because you aren't even remotely biologically related."

Booth and Temperance, both reaching the color of magenta now, shared one quick look with each other before looking away, embarrassed.

"We're not," they both started at the same time. Catching each other's eyes, Temperance finished, "Together. Booth and I are just friends."

Amy nodded. "O-okay," she said with her usual stutter. "I was j-just saying."

They bid goodbye to Amy and turned to Pops instead. Pops, who had been silently shaking with amusement as he walked behind the three kids while that Amy girl had been stuttering her way through her words, now put on the perfect poker face.

"I don't condone fighting," he said sternly.

Temperance and Booth both nodded immediately. "We wouldn't have been in that situation on our own accord," Temperance defended.

Booth smiled charmingly at his grandfather. "What she said," he added.

Pops rolled his eyes. "I know," he agreed. "But I don't want any more fighting, you hear me? Even if someone's trying to start something, you call a teacher. You don't use fists."

"I promise," Booth said solemnly. Temperance echoed his words.

Pops nodded in satisfaction. "Okay, good," he said in relief. "Come on, let's get home."

Although Booth and Temperance hadn't been the one to start the fight, they had been a part of it and had caused some damage to their 'attackers'. Because of this, they were both suspended the rest of the day. They were able to go back to school the next day, of course.

Temperance, with her sharp memory, started a little. "Oh! The grocery store!" she exclaimed, reminding Pops and Booth about their agreement this morning.

"Alright, then, the two of you go on ahead," Pops urged. "I want to get back home. I left Mrs. Bink in a hurry when the school left."

They waved goodbye to Pops, who had parked his truck at the visitor's lot, and stepped towards Booth's Impala.

Once they were inside and strapped in, Temperance looked out her side of the window and sighed softly. "I'm sorry, Booth," she said quietly.

"Sorry? For what?" he asked, his fingers stilling where they'd been fiddling with the keys and his head turning to gaze at her.

"I got you in trouble," she said sadly. "You wouldn't have been suspended if it weren't for me."

Booth reached out and, with one finger underneath her chin, he turned her face gently towards his. "Hey," he said in a soft voice, his deep brown eyes looking deep into her blue ones. "I meant what I said, Bones. We're partners."

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "We have each other's backs," she remembered.

He nodded. She caught a twinkle in his eyes and a small chuckle escaped her lips. "You would've done the same for me," he said, the smile on his face slowly slipping into a more serious expression. "If I were in trouble…"

Matching the look on his face, in his eyes, she gazed at him for a long moment. "Without a doubt," her words sounded like a promise.

They held each other's gaze for a moment before he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Let's go, huh? Maybe pick up Chinese on the way back? I'm starved!" he leaned back in his seat and started the engine.

"You're always 'starved'," Temperance scowled playfully at him.

"I can't help that I'm a growing boy," he joked.

As soon as they reached the grocery store, Temperance was out of the car, list in hand. "We should get healthier items," she suggested as her eyes scanned the list for a second time. "Some of these things could cause a heart attack! Is this how you usually eat?"

Booth frowned at her. "We like to eat delicious food," he told her. "Don't mock the delicious food."

She rolled her eyes at him and grabbed a trolley the moment she was inside the store. "Don't be ridiculous, Booth," she scolded him. "Don't you want Pops to be healthier?"

"He's healthy," he defended.

"Yes, but for a man his age, this type of food is really unbecoming," she countered. They made their way towards the dairy section first. Seeing what she wanted, Temperance's face brightened. "Ah! Here it is - low fat cheese!"

He wrinkled his nose at her, glaring down at the cheese as though it was the devil reincarnate. "Bones! That stuff taste horrible!"

"Have you actually tried this before?" she asked, raising one delicate eyebrow at him. She had a feeling she already knew the answer but she had to be sure.

A sheepish look crossed his features for two seconds before it was replaced by defiance. "No," he admitted grudgingly. "But I don't have to. All that healthy mumbo-jumbo tastes like crap."

Deciding to ignore him now, Temperance turned her back to him and grabbed a pack of low fat cheese, throwing it into the cart. "Next up is milk," she informed him briskly.

"What's wrong with full fat cheese?" he grumbled, trudging along behind her. He grabbed items as they passed - milk, a new stick of butter since they ran out (that, too, had to be low fat)…

They argued the whole time about what to get - she wanted olive oil since it was healthier, he wanted 'normal' oil because he didn't want his 'food to taste all weird'.

"Just one box!"

"We already got those colorful, all-sugar cereals you wanted, Booth!" Temperance stared exasperatedly at him. "We're not getting Pop-Tarts, too."

"It's awesome! C'mon, Bones…You know you want to!"

"Oh, what now? What is that? Why on earth do you need a whole box full of Mountain Dews?"

It took them an hour longer to get everything they needed - and wanted, in Booth's case. She'd even managed to get a few health-conscience food choices, so it was a good day in her opinion.

"I can't believe you bought three times as much mee krob," Temperance rolled her eyes. They were back at Pops' house. She was carrying bags of Chinese food, and he was carrying the grocery bags in.

He snorted. "Please," he scoffed. "We're a couple of mee krob loving people," he pointed out. "If I didn't get extra, you'd steal it from me."

She blushed a little, remembering one of their movie marathon days before she'd moved in. They had ordered Chinese food a few times and mee krob was one of her favorite food to eat, right up there with egg rolls. She always stole from his share after eating hers.

"Whatever, Booth," she mumbled.

He chuckled a little. "Nice comeback, Bones," he teased lightly, bumping his elbow gently to her side.

"Pops!" Booth called out loudly. "Pops, we're…" he trailed off when he saw Pops in the living room sitting next to Ms. Briggs on the couch. "Back," he finished lamely.

"Ms. Briggs," Temperance said, not quite succeeding at keeping the surprise out of her tone. "What…Are you doing here?"

Ms. Briggs, wearing a frown on her face, stood up. "I received a call from your principal today," she sounded disapproving. "He said the most unbelievable thing - that you were in a fight. Is that true?"

Temperance stood rooted to the spot. "It wasn't my fault," she defended, though her voice sounded weak. "I…It was them. They just…"

Ms. Briggs held up a hand. "I know about the other kids," she assured Temperance. "I know how it wasn't your fault. But a fight?" she shook her head, letting out a strained chuckle. "If you're having this much trouble, Temperance…Maybe it's best that we move you someplace else?"

Temperance and Booth shared wide-eyed looks. "No!" Booth protested immediately. "She can't go. She's doing so well here…I mean, the fight was a setback, but that won't happen again."

Temperance nodded vigorously. "Yes, it won't," she agreed. "I've sufficiently learnt my lesson and will no longer participate in any violence whatsoever."

Ms. Briggs looked at her as if she were crazy but nodded slowly anyway. "Um, yeah, okay," she said hesitantly. "I'll be keeping in touch often, Temperance. I only came by today because of the call. This is a warning, Temperance. A serious one. No more fights. No more trouble. Any more and this place would be unsuitable for you. Understand?"

Temperance simply nodded and agreed to everything Ms. Briggs said until she was out of the house and the door was securely locked behind her.

She turned around to face Pops and Booth, her eyes as wide and round as saucers, a slightly terrified expression on her face. "I hate being a foster child," she muttered.

Booth exhaled in relief as he looked out the window. "Ooh, she's gone," he told the others.

Pops rolled his eyes at the other two. "She's not the enemy, kids," he told them sternly. "She's just here to remind you that you need to be more careful."

Booth sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We know, Pops," he told his grandfather wearily.

The three of them stayed in silence for a long, awkward while. "I'll…Set the table," Temperance said, bending down slightly to grab the bags of Chinese food.

"I'll put these away," Booth moved towards the grocery bags he'd dropped on the floor when he'd seen Ms. Briggs in the living room.

"And I'll…Get a drink," Pops sighed. "I'm getting a headache."

"Then perhaps you should get some Advil instead," Temperance suggested in her usual innocently naïve way. "Considering your grandson's past with an abusive, alcoholic father, drinking an alcoholic beverage after a difficult day might not be such a good idea."

"_Bones_!" Booth hissed, staring at her in outrage and disbelief. "For the love of…! My God, a little tact would be nice!"

Pops rolled his eyes heavenward. _Oh, yeah. This was going to be _easy_. Note the sarcasm, God_.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

Juliet.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

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><p><em>March 25, 1991<em>

It's been two weeks since Temperance had moved into the Booth household. They'd all adjusted fairly well. Jared was still a little grumpy about being woken at six a.m. on the weekends because of Temperance's exercise routine, but Booth seemed to enjoy joining her in her morning jogs. She was good company for Pops, too, always having fun making all these wacky new recipes like Mexican tacos and French crème brule. They even had their bathroom times all sorted out.

It was now the start of spring break. Booth was excitedly telling Temperance of the things they could do now that they didn't have school for a while.

"We should revise our notes for finals," Temperance actually sounded excited about that.

"Uh…no," he rolled his eyes. "I was thinking things that are more 'fun' than 'mind-numbing'. Maybe…A trip somewhere? Or, there's a fair we can go to…"

Jared, sitting next to his big brother, gave him an incredulous look. "A fair?" he mimicked. "That's stupid."

"Hey, I wasn't even talking to you," Booth scowled at Jared. "And you're not invited."

"We could go to the fair," Temperance agreed, ignoring the brotherly squabble she was already used to by now. "My dad used to take me and my brother all the time."

"Oh," Booth's face fell. He didn't want to dredge up bad memories of the family she'd lost. "If you don't want to…If you're not up for it…We don't have to go."

She shook her head, smiling at him. "No, I think it'd be good to go," she assured him. "Something I read about closure." At his raised eyebrow, she added hastily, "Not that I believe in the psychological ideals at all. It was just something I stumbled upon and read because I was feeling bored."

He rolled his eyes and smirked at her. "Whatever you say, Bones," he sing-sang.

Pops had taken Booth, Temperance and Jared to McDonalds for breakfast to celebrate the start of Spring Break.

"We should get another apple pie," Pops mumbled around a mouthful of the pie.

Booth scoffed, rolling his eyes. "It's nowhere near as good as diner pie - real American pie," he dismissed Pops' love for the McDonalds pie.

"Yeah, but it's somehow addicting…I can't explain it," Pops mused quietly.

Temperance scowled at the fried thing in his hands. "It's just not healthy," she muttered.

"Coming from the girl who ate about three burgers for breakfast," Booth pointed out.

Temperance blushed greatly. "I skipped dinner last night!" she defended.

"What do you guys have planned for today?" Pops asked, smiling amusedly at the two of them. "Didn't seem like you were into just lazing around - you woke at six today."

Booth scowled in Temperance's direction, his gaze accusing. He had wanted to sleep in, considering it was spring break and he didn't have school and everything. But she'd had different ideas. She'd done everything but brought in a blow horn to wake him up at six on the dot.

Temperance shrugged unrepentantly. "It's a bad habit to change your sleeping patterns simply for a short amount of time," she told him matter-of-factly. "You would have difficulty waking up for school once break is over."

"I adapt very well, thank you very much."

She stared at him in confusion. "Wait…Why are you thanking me? We were arguing…"

"Sarcasm, Bones."

"Oh," her cheeks flushed a light pink color. Regaining her composure quickly, she answered Pops' question, "I was actually planning on going to the mall with Amy."

Pops' eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Amy? Have I met her?"

She nodded her head. "She's the girl you met at the principal's office…The day of the fight? She helped us out by telling her account of what happened."

Pops' expression cleared. "Ah, right," he smiled. Amy had seemed like a nice enough girl.

"Wow, Bones, I didn't know you and Amy were friends," Booth commented.

Temperance shrugged. "We weren't," she clarified. "We spoke sometimes but that was it. After her helping us, though, I have to admit that we have grown closer. I like her."

He nodded. "Do you need a ride?" he asked, already mentally making plans to maybe shoot some hoops with some of his friends in the neighborhood.

Temperance shook her head, smiling softly at the expression on his face - he was, no doubt, planning on some sort of male bonding ritual with some of his friends outside of school. He didn't get to see them often, despite living in the same neighborhood. She had to admit that the neighborhood kids were a lot nicer to her than the kids at school. Maybe it was Booth's influence. She was, after all, no different at home than she was at school.

"Amy's sister Lynn is home from college for spring break," she informed him. "She's taking us. Amy mentioned something about 'girl time'. I'm not quite sure what that entails but she assured me that it would be enjoyable."

Booth chuckled a little at her choice of words. "Okay, then," he said. Truth be told, he wasn't sure if she would find 'girl time' enjoyable. From what he knew, and not that he was an expert on this sort of thing, girls normally fawned over clothes and make-up and whatever at the mall, right? That's what he'd always see in real life and in the movies and stuff. Temperance didn't seem like the girly girl type.

But if she were to make another friend, someone outside their family, than he was fine with it. More than fine. She needed friends, needed people who would see how wonderful she was. He'd support it.

Temperance snuck a look at Pops. "That's okay, right?" she asked, slightly timid.

Pops nodded his head, giving her a reassuring smile. "That's more than okay," he replied. "Just be sure not to be too late. Do you need some money?"

She shook her head, embarrassed. "No, thank you, I'm fine," she replied. It was true, too. She had very little money saved up, since the Dawsons' didn't let her get a part-time job, but Pops had given her every single cent from social services. She hadn't spent a penny and had a bit to spend in case she needed to.

"We'll do something tomorrow," Booth promised her. A sudden strike of inspiration made his eyes sparkle and his face light up. "Oh! I know. We can go to the park. I want to show you something."

She nodded, thinking it over. It was perfect weather to be spending outside these days. "The park sounds good," she smiled.

* * *

><p>"Oh! That's Amy and Lynn. I have to get going," Temperance said, letting the curtain fall back in place. She had been sitting in the living room, with Jared trying to teach her how to play video games on the Nintendo. She hadn't mastered it and it had frustrated her - she'd always had a steep learning curve regarding everything. Video games, on the other hand, were simply not her forte.<p>

She grabbed her small sling tote bag and waved goodbye to Jared and Pops, who was sitting on the couch reading the morning paper. Booth had already headed out to hang out with his friends as soon as they'd gotten back from breakfast.

"Bye!"

"Be back for dinner, Temperance!" Pops called out to her.

She agreed quickly and went out the door, jogging towards the red Mustang sitting out in front of the house.

She saw Amy waving at her from the backseat, and opened the car door to join her. "Hey, Temperance!" Amy greeted her excitedly. "This is my sister Lynn. Lynn, say hi."

Lynn laughed a little and turned around to look at Temperance. "Hi," she grinned widely. Temperance could see the similarities between Amy and Lynn - they were even more noticeable when they smiled. "It's nice to meet you. Amy told me all about you - I hope everything's going great for you."

Temperance blushed slightly. "Oh, yes, they are," she mumbled, feeling more than awkward at having a perfect stranger knowing things about her.

Lynn stretched in her seat a little, leaning towards Temperance. Her eyes narrowed, squinting at something. "Wow…You have, like, the most flawless complexion ever," Lynn commented. "You're not wearing any make-up?"

Temperance shook her head. "No, I've never worn any," she answered truthfully. Her mother had disappeared when she had been too young to even consider make-up, and what with everything that had happened in her life since, beauty just hadn't been one of her priorities.

Lynn winked at her and beamed at the both of them. "Well, once we get to the mall, we'll see how both of you look like with a little make-up on," Lynn promised. "You're both fourteen, almost fifteen, right?" She looked at Temperance when she asked this. Temperance merely nodded to confirm. "It's about time you start. Nothing much, just light, natural tones. You'll see."

Lynn started the engine, turning back to face the front. As her older sister drove, Amy grinned at Temperance, practically vibrating in her seat. "My mom said I could finally start wearing make-up. This is going to be _awesome_!" Amy gushed to Temperance. "Lynn loves fashion and stuff - we have to go shopping later. Are you up for it?"

It was more than a little overwhelming for her, but Temperance simply swallowed back her irrational fear and nodded her head. "Um, sure," she replied softly, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

"Let's go in there first," Lynn suggested, nodding towards a fashion retail store that Temperance had seen and heard of but had never entered. She followed the two enthusiastic sisters at a slower, more wary pace.

They spent almost two hours with Lynn and Amy always practically squealing out things like 'ooh, try this one, Temperance!' or 'this would look _so_ great on me!' or 'we _have_ to get this!'

It was a relief to be getting a break around lunch time. She had spent quite a bit of her money, but she hadn't spent too excessively.

"After this, we should get to the make-up counter," Amy suggested, turning pleading eyes to Lynn.

Lynn, giggling, nodded. "Don't worry, we will," she assured her sister. Noticing Temperance's nervous expression, she frowned. "Are you okay? Is it the hot dog? It gets kinda dicey sometimes…"

Temperance blinked away her confusion. "No, it's not the food," she said softly. "I'm just not sure about the…Clothes or the make-up. Girls like me don't wear clothes like that or make-up."

Lynn stared at the girl in front of her with calculating eyes. She didn't know this girl, not even after hours of bonding through the most wonderful way possible - shopping. She was so quiet, so reserved. Lynn had never been that sort of a girl. She had been a cheerleader in high school and she was an outgoing, loud fashion major at college.

But she could understand that Temperance had insecurities. Even the most beautiful girl in the world had insecurities. It was all a part of being a girl.

"You know, just because people see you a certain way," she started, her voice gentle. "Doesn't mean that you're just what they think you are. Everyone has layers to them. Everyone has untapped potential."

She nodded at the bags of clothes. "Those clothes…They fit you like a glove," she assured Temperance. "You're a beautiful girl. You should embrace that."

Temperance blinked in shock at Lynn's words. "I am?" she asked, a note of disbelief clearly ringing in her voice.

Lynn nodded, snatching another fry off the plate. "Oh, yeah," she said. "If I had a face like that in high school…It would've saved me a lot of bucks."

"Bye, Amy, bye, Lynn," Temperance smiled, hugging both girls lightly. They had reached the end of their shopping day.

"Are you sure you don't need any help getting those inside?" Amy asked, nodding at the many bags propped against Temperance's legs.

Temperance nodded, smiling. "I'm sure," she said, her words slightly rushed. She was excited to go up to her room and pull out all her new things. She even wanted to try the make-up. Lynn and the make-up lady at the mall had taught both she and Amy how to properly put on just a touch of make-up to make it look all natural but glow-y. It had been fun, despite her earlier wariness.

"Okay," Lynn leaned forward to give Temperance a hug. She hugged back after a moment, swallowing back the feelings of awkwardness. "I hope I get to see you again, Temperance."

Amy hugged her, too. "See you soon, Temperance!"

Temperance waved at the two sisters, watching as they get inside the red Mustang and drove off. Bending down, she picked up the tens of bags littering the ground at her feet. It was a bit of a hassle to open the door but she managed.

Pops was in the living room, sitting at the round wooden table they sometimes sat at for meals. Mrs. Bink, one of Pops many friends, was sitting there with him. They both looked up from their conversation when they heard her entering.

"Temperance!" Pops smiled at her. "Wow, that's a lot of shopping," he noted, eyeing the many bags of items she had in her hands.

Temperance blushed fire engine red. "Yes…Amy and her sister Lynn were very persuasive," she said, almost as if in defense. "Is it okay that I bought…?"

Pops gave her an incredulous look. "'course it is," he grunted. "Whatever you do with your money's no business of mine."

Mrs. Bink, a nice old lady that Pops often hung out with, smiled at her from the table. "Oh, hello, sweetheart," she greeted merrily. "You know, we haven't actually met yet. I was the one who helped Hank here with your room."

Temperance nodded, and awkwardly attempted to push back her hair from her face. With all the bags in her hands, it was impossible, so she just dropped her hand back to her side. "Oh, yes, Pops told me…" she smiled a little. "Um, thank you for your help."

She stood there, uncomfortable at the woman's staring. "My, my, look at her," Mrs. Bink sighed dreamily, apparently talking to Pops. "Such a pretty girl."

Temperance blushed a little. "Um, may I please be excused to my room?" she asked politely.

Pops nodded, chuckling. "Sure, little lady," he replied. "What'd you think about casserole for dinner? Mrs. Bink here made us a whole batch…"

She smiled politely. "That sounds great," she answered. With another shy smile sent Pops and Mrs. Bink's way, Temperance turned and headed up the stairs.

Temperance had a blast pulling out her new clothes and putting them inside her closet. They all looked very amazing, she had to admit. She enjoyed looking good in her new clothes. When she had been trying them out at the mall, it had felt like she was a new person.

For a few moments, looking into the mirror, looking happy and even sort of pretty…It had felt like she wasn't just foster kid Tempe with a bad life. It had felt like she was brand new Temperance Brennan, confident girl with a chance at a better future.

Once she had put away all her clothes, she turned to the last remaining bag on the bed. It was almost filled to the brim with products - not just make-up, like she'd anticipated, but all sorts of things Lynn had insisted the female population in general needed. Things like lotions and creams and things she'd never even heard of before. It was all quite confusing at first but Lynn had been very good at explaining things to her and Amy. Of course, Amy wasn't as less informed as she had been, but Temperance was a fast learner anyway.

She sat down at the small cushioned vanity chair and placed the back at the side of it. Placing one hand into the bag, she begun pulling out the things she had bought - new hair brushes and even a small, pretty antique-looking, bejeweled hand mirror that Amy had squealed at when she found it. There had been a few of them and she'd insisted they'd both get one.

She tried on a few of the things she pulled out of the bag, eager to see if she had truly picked up on enough to be able to do this on her own, without the help of Lynn or the assistance of the make-up counter girl at the mall or even the companion of Amy.

She was just putting away the last of her make-up, a fruity sort of lip gloss that has a pretty nice smell she loved, and placing her favorite bottle of lotion up on the middle counter, when Booth walked in.

"Hey, Bones!" he called out. "I just got back. Pops said that dinner will be in…" She had turned around to face him and he froze in place, his eyes growing wide in shock. "Whoa."

The contented smile that had been on her face before faltered slightly. She had thought, when she'd put on the make-up, that she looked good. The make-up was light and natural, just the way they'd tried on at the mall. But maybe it had only looked good to her eyes?

"What?" she asked, slightly stressed. "Do I look strange?"

He gaped at her openly, unable to help himself. "No! No…Uh, you look…Wow," he stumbled over his words. He winced slightly, horrified at his reaction. He'd never had a problem complimenting a girl on her looks before. Girls love compliments and he was an expert at telling them just what they wanted to hear.

Temperance, though, was a different situation. While he'd always acknowledged that she was a pretty girl, he'd never really…Thought about it all that much. Never obsessed about it or anything like that. Sure, she was interesting as hell, and she was witty and brilliant and probably the only person in the entire world who could rile him up in under ten seconds. But she'd always been just his best friend. His awkward, weird, slightly nerdy, pretty, girl best friend, but still just his best friend.

Now, though, with her looking like this…He couldn't help the hormones. He was just a teenage boy, after all.

"I don't understand," Temperance said, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

He smiled a little, regaining his composure. "No, Bones," his smile grew wider. "You look amazing. This is what you did at the mall today? During 'girl time'?"

She blushed a light pink, the color blending beautifully with the small amount of blush she'd added to her cheeks. It just added to her beauty. "Lynn - Amy's sister - said that it was time for me and Amy to wear make-up," she mumbled, her gaze dropping to the ground. She was embarrassed at going through all these changes in front of Booth and his family. It was strange for herself, let alone for others. Besides, she wasn't sure if she was being a girl right.

He chuckled and stepped closer to her. "Well, maybe she's right," he shrugged. "You're almost fifteen anyway."

Booth drew as close to her as he dared, until there was as little space between them as possible without her giving him the evil eye or bitch slapping him into the next decade. He lifted one hand and placed it underneath her chin. With his thumb and forefinger, he lifted her face gently.

Smiling that warm, twinkle-eyed smile of his that she secretly loved, he said, "You look beautiful, Bones."

She was still blushing, one red flush blending into another, at the intimacy of the moment and the warm flow of his words. But she beamed right back at him, her heart pounding furiously in her chest.

"You cut your hair?" he blurted out suddenly, his eyes roving all over her now to check for any more unexpected changes. She was still wearing the clothes she'd changed into this morning - a blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans - but with her new hair and her new make-up…It just struck him that she was growing up.

She nodded. "Lynn suggested we all do it. I didn't want anything extravagant, so I just cut my hair a few inches," she explained.

It was true. Lynn had gone a little overboard, dying her red hair a blonde color, but Temperance had merely wanted it cut and washed. When even Amy wanted to get a new hairstyle, Lynn had persuaded Temperance. She had ended up getting layers for her hair, and cutting it to just below her shoulders. It had a wavy hint to it that hadn't been as prominent with her longer hair. She liked her new hairstyle, even though at first, she'd sort of dreaded having it cut.

Booth's hand seemed to move of its own accord, drifting up to tangle in those dark, silken locks. "I like it," he commented, dragging his fingers slowly through her soft hair as though he was in some kind of a trance.

"Guys!" they heard Jared yelling, accompanied by rapid footsteps approaching. With simultaneous gasps of surprise, they broke apart from their close positions. Booth went over to the bed and sank down on the purple and white sheets while Temperance leaned against her vanity set.

"Where are you? Pops said to get ready for dinner!"

Jared appeared at the doorway and the first thing that he saw was the 'new and improved Temperance', as she was calling it in her head. His eyes grew so large, they might as well have popped out of his sockets. "Whoa," he muttered. "Tempe! You're hot!"

Booth, scowling, jumped up from the bed and walked over to the door. "Alright, get out," he started shoving Jared out. It wasn't all that easy since Jared was riveted with Temperance and was craning his neck to get another look at her. "Get out, you perv!"

"We'll be right down, Pops!" Booth called out, shoving his brother once more until he was out the door. Rolling his eyes and grumbling underneath his breath, he tried to quell the questioning voice inside his head wondering why he got so irritated every time any guy - even his own brother - looked at Temperance as though she was an attractive girl.

She was an attractive girl, of course. He'd seen that since the first moment he'd ever laid eyes on her. But it had never been overtly pronounced at school. She'd always worn clothes too big for her, her hair was almost always shielding her face from view and she had always gone without any make-up. Add to the fact that she was practically a social pariah for something she had no control over, the boys at school never looked twice in her direction.

He was happy about that.

Now to him, she didn't need make-up. She was perfect the way she was. She had a sort of angelic look about her. Her face was an innocent one, and her blue eyes were so brilliant…They were like two perfect blue colored diamonds. She was beautiful. But the make-up subtly highlighted the flawlessness of her skin and her prominent cheekbones and her soft-looking lips. They accentuated her eyes and made her look all glowing…

If the boys at school - or anywhere else, really - started to notice her…They were going to have a big problem.

_Temperance? Dating! That can't happen_! He thought to himself, on the verge of a self-induced panic attack. He barely realized it when Temperance started talking about how hungry he was, but he did noticed when she grew exasperated by his lack of response and grabbed his hand to drag him downstairs.

He was vividly aware of how his hand stayed firmly clasped in hers all the way down the hallway, down the flight of stairs and passed the living room towards the round table where Pops and Jared were sitting.

"Thought we should eat out here tonight," Pops told them as they approached the table. "They've got a horror movie marathon we don't want to miss."

Temperance let go of Booth's hand, much to both of their disappointment, and the two joined Pops and Jared at the table.

Pops watched as Temperance and Booth sat down side by side with each other. They were like two souls combined into one, almost. The way one moved and the other's body would subconsciously move, too, as though to ensure that there wasn't any unnecessary distance between them.

Booth grabbed two plates and passed both over to Temperance who started scooping servings onto them. He was busy grabbing two glasses and filling them with lemonade. Pops watched as they maneuvered their hands around so perfectly.

"Want some?" Temperance was murmuring.

Booth, his words overlapping hers almost as though he knew what she was going to say before she said it, replied in a tone as soft as hers. "You know it. No, more," they laughed along together as she piled homemade fries onto his plate next to his piece of casserole. "Put some of that…" he reached for the ketchup bottle, squirting some on both their plates.

"We should see the…" Booth started suddenly, going on a completely different subject, turning to look at Temperance.

Even though he had trailed off and hadn't finished his sentence, Temperance seemed to understand what he had meant to say. Her eyes lit up and a wide grin spread across her face. "Oh! I totally forgot about that! Yeah, we should!" she said, excited.

He chuckled. "Look at you, all eager and stuff," he teased.

She blushed a light pink. "Shut up, Booth," she rolled her eyes, shoving him on the shoulder slightly. She was still smiling as she stole a piece of fry off his plate.

"Hey! You have yours," he mock glared at her.

"It tastes better off your plate," she defended.

Pops, unable to help himself any longer, burst out guffawing a mad laugh. Booth and Temperance, jolted out of their own little world, turned to stare at him confusedly. "What's so funny, Pops?" Booth asked, raising one eyebrow.

Jared, who was more than a little irritated at his older brother flirting with the pretty girl in the house, scowled at them both. "He's just seeing how idiotic the two of you are being," he snapped before grabbing his plate and moving to the couch.

"Ah, he's just being cranky," Pops waved Jared's comment aside. "I was just…The two of you have the oddest relationship. It's almost as if you speak your own language the rest of us don't, or you can read each other's mind or something."

Temperance and Booth shared an awkward glance with each other. "There's no such thing as the ability to read minds," Temperance stated matter-of-factly, her thing to fall back on every time things get strange for her. "It isn't possible."

Pops chuckled, shaking his head at her. "I didn't mean it literally, little lady," he corrected gently, a fond smile playing on his lips. "I just meant that you're very close. So close that you're in tune with one another."

They both blushed. "We're just…We're best friends," Booth explained in a slightly defensive tone.

Temperance started and her head snapped around in Booth's direction. "You think I'm your best friend?" she asked in a small voice. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him.

His cheeks spread a darker color of red as he stared right back at her, refusing to back down even when he was embarrassed. "Well…Yeah," he shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. It wasn't as if they hadn't established that they were friends. It was even said that they were close friends after everything they'd been through together. But best friends? That had never been acknowledged before. At least not out loud.

"Oh," she blinked twice. Cheeks red, she dropped her gaze to the table for a moment. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, worrying the flesh.

Her shoulders straightened suddenly, as though she was steeling herself for something. When she looked back up, her eyes were bright blue with determination. "Booth, you're my best friend, too," she told him in a straight forward voice. She offered him a big smile, as though proud of herself for having said that.

He chuckled a little. "Okay, then," he said, turning back to his food. "Glad we've got that covered," he joked, popping another fry into his mouth. His hand gently smacked hers when she tried sneaking another fry off his plate. "Watch it, handsy."

_This was great_, Booth thought to himself. It felt nice to just spend time like this. The last few days before spring break, they had both been pretty busy. Sometimes Temperance didn't even come down for dinner or to watch some TV with the others for a few days in a row, busy catching up with whatever schoolwork she thought she was behind in. Having a break from all that hectic school life was a good thing.

He unintentionally caught Pops' eye and his smile faltered a little at the knowing glint in his grandfather's eyes as he gazed at Booth and Temperance. When Pops saw that he had Booth's attention, he gave his grandson a little, meaningful smirk.

Booth widened his eyes to relay a silent, significant message to his grandfather - 'don't say a word and let her know anything'. Pops merely smiled wisely and got back to his dinner.

Even though Pops didn't say anything, the covert looks he'd thrown Booth all throughout dinner made him nervous. So, after the dinner table was cleared, Jared was sent to his room for his bed time and Temperance had gone upstairs for a shower, Booth cornered Pops in the living room where he was watching a rerun of the Brady Bunch and reading the paper at the same time.

"Um…Pops?" he shuffled his weight from one foot to another anxiously. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Pops didn't even look up from the crosswords he was doing. "Is this about your feelings for a certain little lady upstairs?"

Booth's temperature rose dangerously and his head snapped up to look at Pops. "Pops!" he hissed, shooting a quick look at the stairs to make sure that neither Jared or - worse - Temperance was listening in.

Pops chuckled, smirking as he started to fold up the paper. "Shrimp, what's going on there?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Booth sighed, sinking down on the couch adjacent to Pops' armchair. "I don't know," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "It's weird. I mean, she was always just my best friend, you know? But lately…Things have been changing. At least, for me they are."

Pops pursed his lips and gave Booth a knowing look. "Young love," he sighed dramatically. "I remember what that's like."

Booth scoffed incredulously. "Love?" he raised an eyebrow. "Pops, you're losing it."

Pops chuckled, tossing the folded up paper and the pen he was using earlier on the coffee table in front of him. "You say that now," he nodded wisely. "But you're already falling for the little lady, Shrimp. I can see it. You can feel it."

Booth continued to pull an incredulous face until he knew Pops wasn't going to let up. Letting his expression fall, he sighed. "Just don't let her - or _anyone_ - know, okay?" he asked in a defeated tone. "She's as oblivious as always and I don't want to complicate things."

Pops nodded slowly, keeping his eyes locked on his grandson's torn expression. "Listen here, bud," Pops sighed, leaning forward in his seat. Booth mimicked his position and kept his face somber as he listened. "I know this must be confusing for you - you've never been in love before," he shrugged. "First loves are like that sometimes. But you've just got to remember one thing, Shrimp. Follow your heart."

Pops reached forward and patted Booth on his chest, right above where his beating heart lay. "Everything you need to know is in there," he advised. "You'll know what to do when the time comes."

Booth smiled a little at Pops. "Thanks, Pops," he stood up, patting Pops on the shoulder. "That couldn't have been more vague, but thanks. I'll work it out."

"I know you will," Pops said determinedly, sitting back in his seat and grabbing the remote to start flicking channels. "You're a Booth. We always work things out."

Booth climbed the stairs two at a time, more than a little weary about his day. It wasn't an everyday occurrence that you realize you've been having more than friendly feelings towards your best friend, and that your own grandfather had known before you did.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't realized Temperance was in the hallway, too, until he bumped into her.

"Whoa, hey," his hands automatically shot out to steady her. His hands gripped her by the waist, and his eyes fell on her. He gaped a little at her outfit - a pair of shorts and a longish flannel shirt. He dropped his hands immediately and shuffled his feet. "Uh, hey, Bones."

He noticed immediately how the entire hallway smelled of the sweet scent of jasmine and vanilla of her body wash, steam still emerging from the open bathroom door. "Hey, Booth!" she greeted him brightly, unaware that he was uncomfortable standing in front of her right after the conversation he'd had with Pops. "Listen, I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay, sure, whatever you want," he blurted out. "I mean, you know if you need something…Or want something…Yeah. Okay. So, you can ask me now." _Turn into a babbling idiot - a foolproof way to impress the girl of your dreams, ladies and gentlemen_, he thought sarcastically.

Temperance tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Her hair was wet, which made it look as though it was a shade darker than it was already. "I know we said we're going to spend tomorrow together-"

"You have other plans?" he asked, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

She shook her head. "No, no, that's not it," she assured him. "But I was thinking in the shower-" _Oh, dear God_. "-that I should probably get a part-time job or something. I don't want to be dependent on the allowance social services gives Pops, or asking him for money if I need something. I think getting a job would be a good thing. I was thinking maybe we could just drive around for a bit in the morning? I could start looking for a while. If I don't find anything, we can just drop it for tomorrow and do whatever you want to. Is that okay?"

He shrugged. "Sure, Bones, if that's what you want," he replied. "I worked part-time sometimes…I don't think you'd like working where I did last summer, though." At her raised eyebrow, he explained, "I worked at a garage."

She nodded. "I don't know anything about cars," she admitted sheepishly, a cute little blush making its way up her neck and across her cheeks.

He chuckled a little. "Don't worry, Bones. I'm sure we'll find something."

She beamed at him. "Thanks, Booth," she said sincerely. Stepping closer to him and not noticing the wide eyed look he got when she stood on her tip-toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek, she tossed him a smile over her shoulder as she turned to go to her room. "Goodnight, Booth."

He had to clear his throat a few times before he found his voice. "Night, Bones," he said, just in time before she closed the door to her room.

Booth stood out in the empty hallway for the longest time. "I am _so_ screwed," he muttered to himself, shaking his head and walking away towards his own room.

"Booth! Booth!" Temperance ran up to him, almost colliding with a short, older man who was very cranky about it, scowling at her angrily and muttering under his breath as he walked away. "Booth, I got the job!"

"Really!" he broke into a wide grin. He had been sitting out on the steps of the bookstore that Temperance often frequented; the very same one he'd always waited outside of on early mornings when she was still living with the Dawsons, waiting for her so they could drive to school together.

They had been driving around and walking about all morning, trying to find a place where she could get a job - someone had already filled in for the waitressing job at the diner Pops sometimes took them to, and she couldn't stand the leery host at the pizza parlor. The bookstore hadn't even been on their minds when they passed it, but there had been a 'help wanted' sign on the window and Temperance had jumped at the chance.

It was an easy job to get for her. She'd been there every day when she'd been living with the Dawsons. The shop owner recognized her, even knew her. After only a few words, her interview was done and she'd gotten the job.

"Yeah, I start on Friday! I work three days a week and the pay's…Well, it's minimum wage since it's part-time but at least I'm independent!" she gushed, eyes shining brightly as she neared him.

"That's great, Bones!" he assured her, scooping her up into his arms and swinging her around in a big hear hug. She squealed uncharacteristically and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, allowing him to swing her around with her feet dangling from the ground. "I'm proud of you. First day on the hunt and you already got something."

He placed her feet back on the ground and released her from his hug. He placed his arm over her shoulders and hugged her to his side. "We should get frozen yogurt as a reward," he said decidedly.

She chuckled. "Why are _you_ getting a reward?"

"Hey!" he feigned being hurt by her question. "I drove you around the whole morning. I deserve a treat, too!"

"Fine, fine," she rolled her eyes, still laughing. She was in high spirits from getting a job at the bookstore. It would be easy for her to be surrounded by so many books. She was actually excited to start working.

Booth drove them to Yummy Berry, the yogurt shop they frequented from time to time. Yummy Berry was right opposite the community center near Pops' house. As Temperance and Booth, both with a cone of frozen yogurt (White Chocolate for her and Cookies and Cream for him), decided to walk down the street for a while, just strolling, she noticed something.

She halted to a stop, her eyes drawn to a banner tied to the fence outside the community center. It read 'Educational Beginner's Karate Class. At the Dane Social Community Center. Every Mondays and Wednesdays at 5 P.M. to 6 P.M. Call now 312 973 753'.

"Bones? What is it?" he asked, stopping when he realized that she wasn't walking alongside him, listening to his story about practice the other day when coach made them run twenty laps and he was still the one member to bench the most weights afterwards.

She nodded at the banner. "Look at that," she murmured.

"The karate class banner?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he stared at it. "What…? You're thinking of joining the class?"

She turned to look at him, nodding her head determinedly. "Yes," she said, making her mind up right there. "I know this may seem like a rash decision but…I want to."

"I didn't know you were interested in martial arts, Bones," he said, a little tentative due to the steely, almost crazed, look in her eyes.

She shrugged. "I wasn't," was all she said before she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the entrance of the community center.

"Bones, whoa, hold up a minute…" he tried to slow her down.

She didn't listen, just walking briskly until they reached the door. She dropped his hand and went to pull open the door. His hand shot out to stop her. "Bones, just…Talk to me," he pleaded, pulling her away from the door. Her sudden change in attitude was scaring him - she looked so determined, so filled with an unreadable emotion he thought he saw in her eyes a few times before.

She glared at him. "There's nothing to talk about, Booth," she said snappily. "I want to join a class outside of school. Is that so wrong?"

He shook his head, concerned warm brown eyes staring into cool gray-blue ones. "No, nothing wrong with that," he agreed. "I just wanted to know why…I mean, I wouldn't have asked but there's something else…Something that you're not telling me."

"I don't have to tell you everything, Booth," she huffed, turning her face away from him.

Suddenly, an epiphany hit home.

He recognized that look in her eyes because no matter how cold or uncomfortable it may be, he'd seen it before tons of times before Temperance ever came into his life.

He'd seen it in the mirror all the time, in his own reflection.

Guilt. Self-doubt. Self-blame. Regret.

"Bones…You're not thinking that…If you could've defended yourself, if you'd been stronger… The Dawsons couldn't have hurt you. That's not what you're thinking, right?" he asked her softly.

She didn't look at him as she answered, her eyes fixed on the ground. "You said it, not me," she was still dodging the question.

Booth sighed, reaching out to grab her hand. He led her gently to the steps leading up to the community center. They sat down at the very top step. "Bones…I didn't say it because I believe what I said was true," he told her. "I said it because I believed that about _me_."

Temperance's head snapped up and her hand stilled where she was stirring a little bit of the yogurt with her tiny plastic spoon. "What?" she asked, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

He nodded, looking away from her. "When my dad got abusive," he elaborated. "At some point I started to think that if I were stronger…Then he couldn't hurt me. And he couldn't hurt my mom or Jared, either, because I could protect them."

He turned his head to give her a knowing look. "Is that what you're thinking, too?" his question didn't really seem like it needed an answer.

Temperance nodded anyway in response. "Yeah," she said softly, swirling a little bit of melted yogurt with her spoon and keeping her eyes downcast. "I just hated being weak. It was like all those times…All those people that could hurt me…They did it because they saw me as a weak being."

"That's not true, Bones," he argued.

She shrugged. "It is," she insisted. "No one would hurt someone who is strong, Booth. You're a strong person. No one at school hurt you. And, I'd bet, if your father were to come here and try to beat you or Jared…You wouldn't let that happen again."

She looked up and smiled sadly at him. "You have gotten stronger," she sighed. "Whether it's physically or emotionally, you're stronger now. I need to be, too. I don't want to be the kind of person people think they can take advantage of or walk all over on. That's just…That's not how I want the rest of my life to be."

"It won't," he took hold of her hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you ever again. I'll protect you."

She gave him a sweet smile. "That's incredibly sweet and kind of you, Booth," she whispered. "And I know you will. But I don't want to be dependent on anyone. I have to be able to protect myself."

He nodded. "I can understand that," he replied. "Just…Promise me you won't be kicking everyone's asses all the time?"

She raised an eyebrow, pouting at him in bewilderment. "I don't know what that means," she admitted. "But if you're referring to me turning into a violent person…That won't happen."

"Good," he chuckled, rolling his eyes at her. "Come on, let's go in."

She brightened up considerably, practically dragging him into the community center and towards the reception desk.

"Hi," she said to the lady behind the counter, not a shred of anxiety behind her voice. "I'm here to sign up for the beginner's karate class."

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

Juliet.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>March 27, 1991<em>

Temperance Brennan was on a high. She had just gotten back from her first ever karate class and it had been _incredible_.

She had been able to pay for the class easily - she didn't have any money from her newest part-time job at the bookstore yet but she had enough from the last of her savings and the money she'd gotten from tutoring Booth - because it was so cheap. Since she was a student, she'd gotten a student discount and the community center didn't charge a lot for their classes to begin with anyway.

The class had been invigorating. She had never been an athletic person before but her instructor had been very good at getting her to loosen up. In her opinion, signing up for the karate class was one of the best things she had ever done in her life before. The only other two she could think of was meeting and befriending Booth and his family, and watching The Mummy when she was a kid.

She stepped off the bus, alighting at the bus stop a block away from Pops' house. She had a big smile on her face as she walked her way towards the house. She couldn't wait to tell Booth about her new class. He'd be thrilled to know that she'd done so well - she was one of the few to get praise from her instructor and he was _very_ strict about doing things right.

When she rounded the corner, however, she noticed that there was a moving van right next to Pops' house. She had a moment of irrational panic where she thought Pops was taking Booth and Jared and leaving her all alone, just like her parents and Russ had done to her. Then she blinked and saw that the van wasn't parked in front of Pops' house.

And, of course, Booth would never leave her all alone like that. Pops wouldn't abandon her, either. She was sure of it. She had to be.

She refocused and saw that there were movers moving in and out of the house next door to Pops' house. She vaguely recalled Mrs. Bink mentioning something about someone buying the house next door and moving in soon. She hadn't really been paying attention - Booth had been trying to show her how to play basketball while all of them, including Mrs. Bink, had been lounging around in the backyard.

Temperance moved past the U-Haul van to get to Pops' house. When she passed the van and had a clear vision of Pops' house, however, she was shocked to see Booth standing outside. He was at the separating brick wall, his feet standing on the raised platform. On the other side of the wall was a pretty dark-skinned girl. They were both smiling at each other and laughing about something, oblivious to the people moving back and forth behind the girl.

Temperance hesitated, deliberating whether she should go up to Booth and his new friend or not. For all she knew, he wanted to be alone with the pretty new girl. For all she knew, he was flirting with her.

After all, Booth was a sixteen year old American teenager. Sure, he'd dumped Katie a little while ago. It was only logical that he'd want a new girlfriend sometime soon, right?

She had never really thought about Booth having a girlfriend. She'd never seen him being really 'boyfriend-ly' towards Katie though that might've been because she had been too busy with her own less than pleasant home life at the time.

It made her feel uneasy to think of Booth having a girlfriend. It actually made her feel physically, violently ill to think of him hugging a faceless but without a doubt pretty girl, kissing her, holding hands with her…She didn't know why, but it made her stomach churn.

_Snap out of it_, Temperance, she chided herself. _It's bound to happen. Booth's only sixteen. He's got the rest of his life ahead of him to date as many girls as he want. You're supposed to be supportive of this as his best friend_.

She had taken too long to decide whether to introduce herself to Booth's new friend and interrupt their cozy little time together or just get inside the house. Booth had, unfortunately, noticed her standing there on the sidewalk.

"Bones!" he shouted for her, a huge smile splitting his face. "Bones, c'mere!" he waved her over frantically.

She made her way over hesitantly, offering him a small grin and his friend a guarded smile. She made it just in time to hear the pretty new neighbor giggle and say, "'Bones'? What sort of a name is that?"

"It's not my real name," Temperance said, a note of irritation in her voice. _Obviously_, she thought haughtily. What child was named 'Bones'? "Booth just calls me that. His nickname for me."

"Oh," the pretty girl gave Temperance an awkward sort of smile, as if she really didn't care and really didn't want Temperance around.

Temperance took the time to analyze her. From what she could see, which was the neck up only, their new neighbor was very pretty. Her dark skin resembled a very nice sort of mocha color, and there was a certain glow to her cheeks that just blended so very well. Her eyes were a very deep, very dark brown color - almost black, even. Her hair was the shiniest wavy black ever, and it ended just at her shoulders.

"This is Temperance," Booth made the introductions, ignoring how the two girls weren't really getting along. They didn't know each other yet. Once they did, he was sure they'd be great friends. After all, he'd gotten to talking with Cam before Temperance returned home from karate class and she'd seem like a nice, likeable girl. "She lives with my granddad and brother."

Cam raised one delicate eyebrow. "Oh! Is she your sister?" Cam asked, smiling widely now. "You don't really look alike, though."

"We're not related," Temperance informed Cam in her usual matter-of-fact manner.

"Oh."

"Bones, this is Cam Saroyan," Booth continued with the introductions. "She's just moved here with her sister Felicia and her parents."

Temperance gave Cam a small smile. "Welcome to the neighborhood, I guess," she offered.

"Thanks," Cam replied, her aloof tone matching Temperance's.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Temperance spoke up. "Well…I'm just going to head in," she said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. "It was nice meeting you, Cam."

"Uh, you too, Temperance," Cam gave her a weak grin. "Or should I just call you 'Bones'?" she giggled again.

_What's with the giggling_? Temperance thought irritably. "No," she replied rather curtly. Nodding to Booth, she turned on her heel and walked away from the wall and towards the house.

Booth stared after her, confused. Why had she acted so coldly? Maybe she wasn't good with new people. He could understand her apprehension around people she didn't know, considering her past with inhumane strangers (certain foster parents and vicious kids from school).

Cam must be confused, though. He'd better explain to her - you know, without actually revealing anything about Temperance.

"She's just a little shy," he said, turning back to face Cam. "She'll warm up to you."

Cam nodded, biting her lip. Booth couldn't help but compare it to when Temperance would bite her lip whenever she was nervous or when she was concentrating really hard on something… Temperance did it better.

Not that he should care.

He had a sudden stroke of idea. "Hey! Bones and I are having one of our movie marathons Friday night…You should come."

Cam smiled at him shyly, subtly flirting with him. "You won't mind?"

He shook his head. "Nah," he smiled at her. It would be good for Temperance to make new friends. Amy was great and all but she hadn't spoken to the girl after their shopping trip. He'd asked and she'd said that they would see each other in school. Maybe having a friend right next door would do her some good. He was great at being her best friend, her protector, her partner…But there were some things a guy just couldn't be for his girl best friend. Maybe what Temperance needed was a girl friend.

"Okay, well, I'd better head in," Booth offered her one last smile. "You sure you don't need any help, right?"

Cam shook her head. "Nope, we're almost done anyway," she assured him. "You're sweet for offering." She leaned over the brick wall and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Booth!"

He waved before turning around and jogging towards the house. "Hey, Pops," he greeted. "You seen Bones?"

"She went upstairs, Shrimp," Pops told him. "Is everything okay? She didn't look all that happy."

Booth frowned. "Yeah," he mumbled distractedly. "Everything's fine. Um…I'll just be…" he trailed off, already headed for the stairs before he could finish his half-cocked sentence.

Temperance wasn't in her room when he entered. Jared had been downstairs watching TV so he assumed, from the running water he could hear in the bathroom, that Temperance in the shower. He decided to wait for her in her room, sitting at her desk.

A quick look around told him that she didn't have much to entertain herself with. Just school books and old worn copies of Romeo and Juliet and a few other classics. She didn't even have a radio or a CD player, or even any CDs, for that matter.

A flash of clear plastic caught his eye and he reached out to shift a few papers filled with notes for her physics class. He had to smile when he caught sight of his Foreigner CD. He knew it was his because the clear plastic was scratched and there was doodling on the paper cover.

Who knew Temperance was a Foreigner fan?

"Booth?"

He jumped, startled, and twisted his head quick enough to give himself whiplash. Temperance was standing at the doorway of the room, looking confusedly at him. "What're you doing in here?" she asked, biting her tongue just in time so as not to add 'and not with your new girlfriend'.

She frowned at her irrational behavior. What on earth was wrong with her? She shouldn't be acting like this. Booth was her friend. He was her friend and nothing more. She didn't want anything more with him, shouldn't want it, shouldn't even think about it.

She had no right to be acting like some sort of a jealous girlfriend. She had no claim on Booth. He could date whomever he wanted.

Booth watched as Temperance made her way into the room. She had grown steadily healthier ever since she'd moved in. It hadn't been that long ago, but Temperance was a health conscious nut. She never failed to exercise daily, she ate all the healthy food he would never attempt to even try and now she was going to karate classes.

She might not see it, but Booth did - she looked a ton different than when she was living with the Dawsons. Her cheeks had a healthy glow to it, and she wasn't as bony thin as before.

In fact, if he was seeing correctly - and of course, he was - Temperance was starting to fill out her curves.

Blushing at the direction his train of thoughts had gone to, he cleared his throat, realizing that Temperance was staring expectantly at him.

Right! Her question.

"I just wanted to talk," he shrugged. "Can't a guy talk to his best friend for no reason?"

She rolled her eyes at that, but he could see the smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Whatever, Booth," she pretended to be nonchalant despite her happiness that Booth still acknowledged her as his best friend.

He chuckled. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked, making her way to her vanity table. She grabbed her brush from the table and brushed at her semi-wet hair, internally panicking. What if Booth knew the confusing feelings she had been having around him? What if he knew that she didn't like Cam simply because she was beautiful and was obviously interested in him? What if he knew that she was so worried for some reason that he would like Cam back?

He shot her an incredulous look. "You didn't seem yourself earlier, when we were talking to Cam," he elaborated. "And you bolted out of there pretty fast."

She shrugged. "I needed a shower," she replied curtly. "I didn't clean up much back at the center since it was so near dinner time."

Booth shook his head at her. "That's all?" he inquired disbelievingly. Noticing the guarded look in her eyes, he stood up from the chair and walked over towards her. "Is something bothering you, Bones?" he asked softly. "I feel like you're hiding something from me."

Her first instinct was to defend herself, which she did without thinking. "I don't have to tell you everything, Booth!" she snapped. He reeled back, stunned by her hostility. Her face fell when she noticed the hurt look on his face. "Booth…I'm sorry," she whispered, dropping her gaze. "I'm…I find myself dealing with something very strange right now. I'm just confused."

"Confused?" his eyebrows scrunched together. "About what?"

"I…I just can't talk about it, Booth," she turned away from him, twisting her hair up and reaching for a clip to keep it in place.

He frowned at her. "You _can't_ talk about it?" he repeated, finding that hard to believe. They had always been able to talk to each other after their darkest secrets had been revealed. "Or you won't?"

Temperance sighed as she stared at the infuriating boy in front of her. "Booth, I just…I need some time to sort out my thoughts," she said, not even the slightest bit apologetic about it. "I know I'm acting irrationally, but that's because my thoughts have been muddled with my emotions. I promise I'll be better soon."

Booth sighed, nodding. "Okay," he said, defeated, knowing that when she was in a mood like this, there was nothing on earth he could do to make her talk. Sometimes, she just needed her space. He could respect that. "But I want you to know that you don't have to keep anything from me, Bones. If you want to talk or just want someone to listen…I'm here. I hope you know that."

She smiled at him. "I know," she murmured quietly. "Thank you."

He grinned suddenly, remembering his great plan of inviting Cam over. "And, hey, Cam's coming over on Friday night," he said excitedly. He really was certain that he, Cam and Temperance could be great friends. He'd clicked with Cam instantly and knew that once Temperance got over her initial wariness of her, she and Cam would, too.

Temperance blinked at him, keeping her expression neutral. She couldn't allow for him to find out that her heart had stung when he had looked so excited for the pretty girl next door to come over. "Friday night?" she asked, eyebrows drawn together. "But that's our movie night."

He nodded. "I know. I invited her over for that," he explained, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "I have a feeling she'll be a good friend."

"Right," she smiled slightly. "Friend."

She'd hoped that he wouldn't pick up on her less-than-sincere smile, but he was _Booth_ so of course he did. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?" he asked, concern seeping back into his brown eyes.

"Shrimp! Tempe! Dinner!" Pops yelled, saving her the trouble of reassuring Booth yet again that she was fine when she was anything but.

Temperance grabbed Booth's hand and practically dragged him out the door. "Come on, Booth - I'm starving!" she said, deliberately not answering his question.

By seven on Friday night, Temperance was dreading spending time with Booth's new girlfriend. She wasn't quite sure what it was about the beautiful dark haired girl that bothered her – even if she did tend to giggle often in Booth's presence, Temperance didn't think she was evil. She certainly didn't glare at Temperance every time she saw her. She even waved when they had both been out getting the paper at the same time that morning.

Still, it was grossly irritating her that Booth had even asked Cam to come over. After all, he had made such a big deal a few weeks back about turning Friday nights into a special movie night just for the two of them. Apparently, she needed to be educated on all the pop culture he could think of, and he was just the person to teach her.

"I thought we'd go for the horror flicks tonight," Booth said, holding up two VHS tapes.

Temperance's eyes skimmed over the titles quickly, taking note of what she would be watching with the two others.

She remembered a certain conversation with her older brother a few years back, when he was seventeen and had invited a girl over when their parents were away for the weekend and had left him in charge.

Despite constant phone calls to check on them, Matthew and Christine had trusted Russ to be old enough and wise enough to care for his eleven year old sister for a day and a half. And, of course, being a seventeen year old boy, the first thing Russ had gone was invite his girlfriend Melanie over. He had picked all sorts of horror movies. It had confused Temperance greatly. When she'd asked, Russ had looked at her as though she was stupid not to understand, and explained, "Because if it's a horror movie, Melanie would get scared. When Melanie gets scared, she'll turn to me, and I'll get to comfort her…Which might end in a make-out session."

"What d'ya think?" Booth asked her, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

Temperance shrugged, feeling a little nauseated in all honesty. "I think…" she sighed. "I think that if you want to be alone with Cam, you could just tell me."

Booth lowered his arms, doing a double take at her words. "Huh?" he cocked an eyebrow, staring incredulously at her. "Why would I do that?"

He truly was confused – the whole point of inviting Cam over was for Temperance to see just how nice Cam was and become friends with her. It would be pretty great if that were to happen, since they lived right next door to one another.

Temperance shrugged. "Cam is a very aesthetically pleasing girl," she pointed out.

Booth blinked.

"And, really, it doesn't surprise me that you've moved on from Katie."

Blink. Blink.

"And, look, Booth, I'm happy for you," she informed him, adopting a carefully neutral tone as she spoke. "Relationships have anthropological meaning. No society can survive if sexual bonds aren't formed between…"

Booth cut her off there. He wasn't sure he understood what she was trying to say, but he was _very_ sure he didn't _want_ to understand what she was trying to say.

"What the hell are you talking about, Bones?" He shook his head at her ridiculous babble. "Look, all I wanted to do was find us both a new friend. Is that so bad?"

Temperance gave him a bewildered look. "Aren't you inviting Cam over to see if there is enough compatibility between the two of you to form a sexual relationship?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Booth cursed under his breath at her crude words, tossing the two tapes onto the couch and rubbing his hand down his face a few times. The worst part of it was – he couldn't yell at her. It wasn't like she knew she was being offensive. She was just…Curious. And more than a little naïve. And she had a tendency to say things in the most awkward, clinical manner possible.

He gave her a stern, exasperated look. "No! Bones, okay? I'm not…Doing that," he cringed. "Cam just seems like someone we could both get along."

Booth walked towards where Temperance was sitting on the couch, sinking down next to her and bumping his shoulder with hers gently. "I just think it'd be nice for you to have more than just me and Amy as friends," he explained.

Temperance frowned at him, "Are you tired of me?" He reeled his head back in shock. "It's okay if you are – we live together. You're bound to, at some point, feel overwhelmed by my presence. I understand."

Booth shook his head. "You feel that way about me, Bones?"

"What?" she said, shocked. "No, of course not. Don't be ridiculous."

Booth rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm being ridiculous?"

She answered his sarcastic question, saying "Yes," in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You're not overwhelming me, okay, Bones?" he clarified for her, smiling amusedly at her naivety. "I just…Look, there are some things that girls need girls for. I can't be there for you for everything, no matter how much I want to. You and Amy don't really hang out much outside of school. I just thought, with Cam living right next door, you might like being friends with her."

Temperance narrowed her eyes at him. "So…You don't want to date her?"

"No, I don't."

"Oh, okay."

Booth leaned back against the couch, feeling strangely exhausted after this very strange conversation. He turned his head, giving Temperance a teasing smile. "You know, Bones, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous," he couldn't help but say.

Temperance scowled at him, even as she blushed a deep red. "What! No, Booth…I'm not jealous!" she protested.

Booth merely chuckled, wagging his eyebrows at her suggestively.

She glared at him through narrowed eyes. "I was merely curious. Concerned, even, that I would be getting in the way," she continued. "I wasn't jealous."

"Okay, Bones," he said in a sing-song manner, as though to say 'I don't believe you'.

Temperance gaped at him, "I wasn't!"

"Uh-huh."

Thankfully for him, before Temperance could sock him in the eye or something, the doorbell rang. He jumped up from the couch, shot her a bright smile and announced, "I'll get the door!"

As he backed away from the couch, walking backwards, he held up both hands and gave Temperance a cheeky, mock-reassuring smile. "Now, it may _seem_ like I'm overeager to get to the door, but really, I just don't want to be rude. I won't be repopulating the earth with Cam on the front porch."

Temperance scowled at him. "The earth doesn't need to be repopulated, Booth," she snapped, though the playful sparkle in her eyes matched the one in his. "There are over five billion people on the planet at the moment."

Booth, instead of telling her he was only teasing her, shrugged and threw her another cocky grin. "Well, I just wanted to clear the air. You know, just in case I get back inside two seconds later than you would like and you think I'm out there makin' babies with her."

"What, you only need two seconds?" she shot back.

His grin slipped off his face and he scowled at her. Turning his back to her, he jogged towards the door. "Want me to tell you everything I'm doing right now?" he called out to her.

"Shut up, Booth!"

Chuckling to himself, he threw open the door. He smiled widely at Cam, standing on the other side of the door. "Hey, Cam. Come on in," he invited, stepping aside to let her pass through.

Cam grinned at Booth. "Thanks," she replied, careful not to sound too enthusiastic. She had worried herself for hours wondering what to wear. She'd finally chosen to go with her pink Lurex and wool tweed jacket, with matching hot pink shoes, and had thrown on her blue denim skirt over the pink leggings. She had kept her hair pin-straight, and had thrown on a little of her fruity lip gloss. She'd wanted to look good tonight, just to impress Seeley Booth…And maybe get him to kiss her. _Breath mints – check_.

"Where's, uh…Temperance?" she asked, secretly hoping that the odd girl she had met briefly had decided against joining the two of them.

"In the living room," Booth replied, oblivious to the reason she asked, but not quite so oblivious to Cam trying to flirt with him - the kiss on the cheek the day before, the outfit, the coy smiles… He decided to ignore that, however – they had just started being friends and acknowledging it out loud would only make things awkward. Besides, as pretty a girl as Cam was, he found himself strangely uninterested in her. He figured she was more of the '_just friends_' type for him.

"Come on. We'd better get in there. Bones would get worried if we stay out here too long," he grinned impishly even as he made a joke he knew she wouldn't understand.

Cam furrowed her eyebrows at him. "What?" she asked, smiling confusedly.

Booth shook his head, waving a hand. "Ah, inside joke," he shrugged apologetically. "Come on."

He led her past the foyer and into the living room, where Temperance was looking through the tape covers to read more about the movies. "Did'ja pick one you want to see first?" he asked her.

Temperance didn't look up as they entered, her eyes still roving over the covers. "From the summaries I read, I have made an informed decision, based purely on conjecture of course since I have never seen either of these movies, to watch 'Christine' first…It seems rather thrilling," she sounded sort of amused by that.

Finally looking up, she gave Cam a neutral look that conveyed absolutely nothing on the way she felt about the girl. Cam shifted uncomfortably under the penetrating gaze of Temperance Brennan's bright blue eyes – it was disconcerting to be the subject of her attention. It felt like Temperance was looking right through her soul.

"Hello, Cam."

Cam gave Temperance a slightly forced, awkward smile. "Hi, Temperance. So…Christine, huh?"

Temperance nodded. "Yes," she murmured. "I hope that's alright with the both of you."

Cam nodded, and Booth shrugged. "Sure, Bones. I don't mind."

Booth stepped forward to grab the tape from Temperance's hand but she snatched it out of his reach. "No…Booth, I can put the tape in myself," she protested. "I'm not a child. I know how the recorder works."

Booth rolled his eyes, holding both his hands up palms out in mock surrender. "Jeez, alright. Try to be nice to somebody…" he shook his head. He and Cam took their seats on the couch, next to each other, while Temperance went to put the tape in the VHS player.

Temperance settled in on Booth's right side, grabbing the popcorn bowl and placing it on his lap as he pressed the 'play' button on the remote. "Ready to be scared to death, Bones?" Booth asked her, raising an eyebrow and throwing her a mischievous grin. He couldn't wait to see Temperance all scared over a movie. _It should be an interesting experience_, he chuckled in his mind.

Temperance gave him an exasperated look. "That's impossible, Booth," she said in this patient tone like she was explaining something so obvious to a small child. "No one can be scared to death by a mo-oompfh!" she glared at her best friend as a handful of popcorn was shoved into her mouth.

"Just…Watch the movie, huh, Bones?" Booth rolled his eyes, placing an arm around her shoulders and squeezing gently, his other hand going for the popcorn again.

Cam eyed Booth's interaction with Temperance, feeling more than just a smidge of jealousy and disappointment. He had no idea that they were dating. Booth hadn't mentioned anything to her when they'd spoken, and had even engaged in a little light flirting with her. Of course, she should've guessed – any other guy would've complimented how she looked the moment they saw her, or even let their eyes wander. Booth hadn't done either.

She sighed, feeling a little like a fool as she sat next to the duo. _No way to back out of this now, Camille_, she told herself sulkily. _Just sit here, watch the movie and make an excuse to leave before the second one. Like…Felicia's sick or something_.

She felt irritated the third time Temperance interrupted the movie in a loud whisper, asking Booth what this meant or making some sort of 'realistic correction', but to her surprise, Booth hadn't seem to mind at all. Oh, he pretended like he was, saying how she should just enjoy the movie for what it was – an unrealistic portrayal of fictional events – but he would answer each time she asked, and though Temperance was oblivious to the goofy little smile Booth wore when he turned away from her to return to the movie, Cam wasn't.

She was convinced she was merely wasting her time going after Booth – until Booth sighed and commented, "Man, I'd kill for a car like that."

Cam snorted a laugh. "A psychotic, killer car?" she teased.

Booth chuckled, eyes twinkling as he smiled at her. "No, Camille," he said, calling her by the name he knew she hated – her mother had called by that the day he'd met her, when she was moving in next door, and she had commented to him never to call her that. "I meant, a '58 Plymouth Fury."

"Yeah, I know, big guy," Cam patted his arm. "My cousin, back in New York, loved this movie so much he tracked down the exact model and color for months."

Booth's eyes widened. "No way!"

Cam nodded. "Yeah, totally. It was a little beat up, but he restored it to perfect condition himself. Drives it around like it's his pride and joy," she added dryly, rolling her eyes.

Booth whistled appreciatively. "Whoa. Well, I would, too, if it was me," he commented.

Their conversation picked up, then, becoming light and teasing. It felt so comfortable around him, that Cam was pretty sure he felt the same way, too. Temperance kept quiet, only interjecting once to ask a question about whether or not the car really 'died' in the end.

"Okay, I'm gonna get some soda before we watch 'Carrie'," Booth informed the two of them, jumping up from his seat. "You guys want anything?"

"Coke for me," Cam said.

"Just water for me, please," Temperance chimed in.

Booth nodded, grinning. "Alright, ladies, be right back," he said charmingly before leaving the room.

Cam watched as he left, her eyes falling to his jean-clad ass. Nice, she commented to herself. Turning to look at Temperance, she slid closer to the girl, sitting in the still-warm seat Booth had just vacated. "Hey, Temperance? Can I ask you a question?"

Temperance looked at Cam with raised eyebrows. She didn't know what she could possibly want from her - they hadn't spoken at all except for their awkward greeting at the beginning, when Cam had first arrived.

"Oh, sure."

Cam looked up over Temperance's head to see that Booth hadn't returned, then turned back to Temperance. "Are you and Seeley…dating?"

"He doesn't like to be called by his first name," Temperance replied immediately.

Cam looked slightly taken aback by that - of course, she had known that about Booth. He had told her so the day they'd met when he'd introduced himself, but it was still weird calling the guy you wanted to date by his last name.

"And…No. We're not," Temperance eyed the other girl curiously. "Why do you ask?"

Cam gave her a look. _Wow, oblivious_, she commented to herself. She eyed the strange girl with a keen eye - Booth had mentioned that Temperance was off the charts smart. If she was so intelligent, she would've been able to tell that Cam was interested in Booth, shouldn't she?

Or, maybe, Cam thought, a new idea spurning in her mind. She's just pretending to be oblivious…She could be jealous. She might have her sights on Seeley, too. I mean…That's sorta weird, but they're not related, right?

Instead of answering Temperance's question, she decided to do some damage control. "You know, it's actually a little obvious to me now that you guys aren't dating," she said lightly.

Temperance frowned at Cam, and the girl chuckled to herself. _Yep, definitely jealous_, she confirmed.

"What do you mean by that?" Temperance asked, mildly insulted. Was Cam suggesting she wasn't good enough for Booth? It was probably true, of course, what with her background and everything she'd been through, but was it that apparent to a total stranger who knew next to nothing about her?

Cam shrugged, reclining back against the couch's backrest. "It's just…I know Seeley said that you two aren't related," she said, making Temperance scowl at her usage of Booth's first name once more. "But it just feels, to me, like you guys have a very brotherly-sisterly bond, if you know what I mean."

Temperance stared at her unblinkingly. "No…I don't know what that means," she said, frowning as she tried to understand Cam's words. She didn't think she and Booth acted the way she and Russ had acted towards one another. She didn't even act towards him like she did with Jared, who was family to her, as well.

Cam didn't have time to reply, because Booth had stepped back into the living room, carrying three bottles - two cokes and one mineral water - and a box of Mallomars. "Hey, look, I found one last box of Mallomars in the fridge," Booth grinned at the two girls on the couch, handing them each a bottle of their preferred drink. "We should head to the store tomorrow and stock up on these - they don't come around anymore until next winter," he said to Temperance.

"Oh! Seeley, I'm in your seat," Cam said, starting to move away to her original seat.

Booth waved his hand, dismissing her concern. "Naw, it's fine," he assured her. "I'll just sit next to Bones."

Cam pouted, though she didn't protest as Booth sank down next to Temperance.

Temperance, on the other hand, felt like sticking her tongue out immaturely and shooting Cam a smug smile…Even if she had absolutely no idea why she'd want to do something that juvenile. Thinking about it made her head hurt, so she kept her mind carefully blank.

Of course, her good mood was suddenly ruined when Booth, leaning forward so he could see Cam, shot her a playful grin. "And don't call me Seeley, Camille."

Cam, grinning once more, shot back, "Don't call me Camille, _Seeley_."

Temperance, trying not to scowl at the nauseating display, grabbed a Mallomars cookie and stuffed it into her mouth, completely shocking Booth next to her.

_She normally doesn't even eat this stuff_, he remembered. Doing a mental scratch of his head, he shrugged. _Who knew why Bones does the things she does?_ He turned his head towards the front, pressing 'play' to start 'Carrie'.

"You're gonna _love_ this, Bones…"

* * *

><p>Thanks so much for those of you who reviewed, and thanks for all the alerts and favs.<p>

Juliet.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>March 30, 1991<em>

This was a scene that had become familiar to her - Booth would take her out on a few weekend mornings, bring her to the lakeside basketball court at Rogers Park a few blocks away.

He would meet up with a few of his friends from the neighborhood - she remembered Jimmy, Kyle and 'T-Bone', though she had no idea where he got the nickname from and he refused to divulge that information to anyone.

She would bring a textbook to revise or a book to read, alternating between her book and watching Booth play. It always amused her since he was definitely the alpha male amongst his friends, and he would always beat them during their 'friendly competition'.

This particular Saturday, however, things were slightly different.

Booth was still playing.

Jimmy, Kyle and T-Bone were still playing with him.

She had her paperback copy of 'The Portable Dorothy Parker' in her hands.

What could possibly be different this time around?

Oh, yeah, the girl sitting next to her, waving enthusiastically every single time Booth looked their way, and gushing excitedly about how amazing Booth looked like in his sweat-drenched sports jersey and shorts.

"So…" Cam said, trailing off as she glanced sideways at the thoroughly annoyed Temperance (well, _you_ would be, too, if you had to sit there and hear someone prattle on and on about how good your best friend would look like shirtless for ten minutes straight). "School is starting up on Monday."

"Yes," was Brennan's curt reply as she continued to read.

Cam ignored Brennan's aloofness as best as she could. It was disconcerting to her how Temperance acted, but it wasn't like she could just come out and say that to her face - with how close Temperance and Booth were, Cam viewed Temperance as an 'in'.

Cam had been a cheerleader back home, and she knew exactly how to spot someone with high social standing in school. Booth was, obviously, popular. He played sports, was on the basketball team, he was fit - and he looked damn good. She had absolutely no doubt that hordes of girls would be chasing after him. If Booth thought that Cam was being all chummy with Temperance, it might increase her chances with him.

"I'm going to try out for the cheerleading squad," Cam told Temperance in a nonchalant tone.

Temperance made a face. _Oh, good, because we need another one of those around_, she thought sarcastically. "Okay."

Cam bit her lip, sending Temperance another sideways glance before letting her eyes drift back towards the four boys on the court. "Hey…You and Seeley-"

"Booth," Temperance interrupted. "He wants to be called 'Booth'." _How hard is that to remember? It's not some sort complex mathematical equation. It's a freakin' name_.

Cam fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Right," she said with a strained smile. "You and _Booth_ are pretty close, right?"

Temperance nodded, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. "Yes," she replied, a smile flitting across her lips. "We declared ourselves as each other's best friend."

Cam eyed her with an unreadable expression on her face. Okay, weird way to phrase it…"Right, okay," she said out loud. "Well, as his '_best friend_', you should know if he's seeing anyone, right?"

"Seeing anyone?"

Cam nodded. "Yeah. Y'know…Dating anyone?" she elaborated, eagerly waiting for Temperance's response.

Temperance looked surprised by Cam's question, though she knew she shouldn't be - it was obvious, even to her, that Cam was interested in Booth. Perhaps Booth even liked her back - she didn't know why else he would invite her to watch him play basketball, not when he'd only known her a few days.

"Oh," she said, concealing her emotions as she spoke in a fairly monotone voice. "No, he's not."

Cam's dark eyes brightened considerably, a happy smile lighting her face. "Oh, really?" she sounded far too interested in this for Temperance's liking.

Temperance nodded anyway. "He _was_," she felt compelled to say, mostly because this was starting to be really uncomfortable to her and the filter from her brain to her mouth generally disappeared when that happened. "But then he broke up with her…And now he's…Uh, not…"

Cam was grinning ear to ear as she looked back out onto the court.

Just as luck would have it, Booth looked over towards the two girls sitting on one of the benches and waved.

Cam waved back.

Temperance didn't, too engrossed in trying to understand why it was that she felt a strange sort of nauseating feeling in her stomach at Cam's reaction to not only Booth's wave, but the fact that he was single and for the taking.

_It couldn't be…I'm not jealous, am I?_ Temperance questioned herself, remembering how riled up Russ had been the one time his friend had gone after a girl he himself had set his sights upon. _No, I'm not. I can't be. If I'm jealous, it would mean that I like Booth in a romantic sense, and that's just…It's…No way_.

Booth frowned as he noticed that Temperance was distracted. She wasn't even reading her book, but she wasn't looking in his direction, either. She was just staring straight ahead, a scowl on her lips that he could catch even from the distance.

"Dude, you are seriously lucky, man," Kyle told him, shaking his head.

Booth turned his head to look at his buddies. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked Kyle, watching as Jimmy dribbled the ball a few feet away from them, T-Bone trying to snatch it from him before he could make a basket.

Kyle let out a sarcastic bark of laughter. "Hey, Jimmy!" he yelled out, just as Jimmy had thrown the basketball through the hoop, instead of answering Booth. "This doofus here doesn't know why he's a lucky son of a gun."

He took Jimmy's place when the boy threw the basketball at him. Jimmy jogged over to Booth, a know-it-all smirk on his face. "You're kidding, right?" At Booth's still bewildered expression, he nodded not-so-subtly in Temperance's and Cam's direction. "You've got two girls pining over you enough to come out here and watch you play…"

Booth, catching on to his meaning early in his explanation, started shaking his head back and forth in denial. "No, man, it's not like that," he protested. "Cam's just a friend, and Bones… Look, I invite Bones over every Saturday. You know that."

Instead of accepting his answer at face value, Jimmy's grin grew and he gave Booth a sly look. "Oh, so it's the younger chick you're interested in," he teased in a knowing tone. "You sly dog," he joked, thumping Booth on the back.

Booth scowled, shoving Jimmy's hand away. "You're way off, man," he growled, snatching the ball from T-Bone as soon as he was near enough.

Jogging away, Booth started to dribble. _Jimmy's wrong. I'm not interested in Bones…Sure, she's gorgeous…And God, those _eyes_…But still. Best friend slash science partner slash tutor slash housemate. That's complicated enough. I'm not interested in her_.

Booth was so distracted that he missed the basket, the ball just bouncing off the rim. He groaned internally. _This is _not_ good_, he sulked.

Back on the wooden bench a few feet away from the boys, Temperance, too, was contemplating the unease she felt every time Cam mentioned being interested in Booth.

Like, right now, for instance.

"Do you think he'll go for it?" Cam was asking Temperance. "I mean, he seems like the kind of guy to like girls who are, I don't know, strong-willed? Independent?"

"I…Uh…"

"Like, say, strong-willed, independent girls who make the first move?"

Temperance closed her book with a snap, "You know what? I don't know what kind of girls Booth like, okay? I don't know him well enough to…If, I mean…Well, his last girlfriend was, frankly, a bit of an oxygen head, so I-I don't-_I don't know_!"

Cam stared at Temperance, wide-eyed at the outburst she'd just witnessed. Whoa, she thought wryly. Insane, much?

Temperance, blinking rapidly, blushed furiously at her little rant. "I, um, I have to get home…" she mumbled. "Excuse me."

Tucking the book to her chest, she stood up quickly and walked away over to where Booth and his friends were.

"Look, man," she heard T-Bone saying to Booth. "You obviously dig her. So just go for it."

Temperance felt her heart drop to her stomach, and her insides were churning in a pretty horrible way. _So he _does_ like Cam_, she deduced sadly. She shook her head imperceptibly. _There's no reason for me to be sad_, she chided herself sternly. _Booth is simply my friend. I'm being happy for him. No, in fact, this is none of my business, so I'm going to be _indifferent_ about this_.

"Yeah," Jimmy chimed in. "Since when are _you_ afraid to go after a girl?" He said it like it was the most ridiculous notion he'd ever heard.

Temperance cleared the throat, interrupting the conversation the boys were having. They jumped and Booth looked a little pale to her. "Bones!" he said in surprise. "What're you doing here?"

She stared at him, confused. "You invited me, remember?" _Is he suffering from some sort of short term memory loss?_

Booth rolled his eyes while Kyle snickered in the background. Booth's little girlfriend was always entertaining to have around. "I meant out on the court, Bones," he clarified.

Temperance nodded in understanding. "Ah, well…I wanted to tell you that I'm heading home," she informed him. "School starts in two days and I'm really behind on my revision."

Booth sighed. "You're the smartest person in our entire grade, Bones," he pointed out. "Probably in the entire school."

She pursed her lips, considering his words. Without any sort of smugness, she nodded her head and said matter-of-factly, "I agree. However, that doesn't mean that I desire lagging behind and becoming…_Average_."

Booth had to hide his grin at the way she'd said the word like it was some sort of disgusting thing at the bottom of her shoe, and wrinkled her nose.

"Okay, well, I guess we could leave…" Booth turned to look at his friends, all of them watching his interaction with Temperance.

Temperance glared at Booth. "I'm not incompetent, Booth," she chided. "I can walk home on my own."

Booth simply gave her a look. "Look, Bones, I know you think 'cuz you went to one karate class, you're all kick ass now, but- hey! Ow! Ow! Bones! Stop that!"

She had started hitting him on the upper arm with her thick Dorothy Parker book, and he was running in small circles, trying to get away from her, but she was just chasing after him, wielding the book like a weapon.

"That was just demeaning, Seeley Booth!" she told him angrily, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him when he had managed to successfully wrangle the book out of her grasp.

He held up both hands, one of which was gripping the book. "Okay, okay, jeez…I'm sorry, okay?" he rolled his eyes, scowling at his friends, all of whom were laughing at him. "I just meant, you know, there could be some weirdo out there or something. I don't want you to get hurt."

Temperance glared at him for a few seconds longer, but it was futile to keep it up when he was giving her that 'I'm-sorry-you-thought-I-was-an-ass-I-was-really-just-trying-to-look-out-for-you-cuz-I-care-forgive-me?' version of his charm smile.

Her expression softened, and a small smile made its way to her lips. "Fine, I appreciate the sentiment," she said grudgingly, accepting the book he handed back to her once he was sure he wasn't about to get hit with it again. "But I'm still capable of walking three blocks by myself, Booth."

Booth took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly and shaking his head at her stubbornness. "You sure?" he asked again, just to be certain.

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Yes, Booth, I'm sure," she replied dryly. "Just continue playing with your friends."

"We're not 'playing', Bones," he made a face. _What are we, five?_ "We're practicing our jump shots."

She stared at him blankly.

"Just…" he sighed. "Promise me you'll be careful."

Temperance rolled her eyes heavenward. "I promise that if Clemenza drives by and asks me to take a ride with him, I'll politely decline," she quipped.

Booth and the other three boys stared at her, stunned.

Temperance grinned shyly at Booth. "Did I get it right?" she asked, knowing perfectly well she had. She had a very strong memory, almost a photographic memory, even. She could remember the movies they'd watched with perfect clarity, especially since it hadn't been that long ago that they had watched the movie saga on the Mafia families.

Booth broke out of his shock, a slow smile spreading across his face as he took in the goofy excitement she was displaying because she'd not only made a pop culture reference, but had gotten it right.

"Yeah, Bones," he replied softly. "You got it right."

She chuckled, bright blue eyes sparkling happily. "Good!" she chirped. "Listen, I'm going to go. Cam's going to stay and ogle you boys, okay?"

Without giving them a chance to respond, she had turned on her heel and scurried away from the court.

Booth watched her leave, a silly smile on his face and a hot flush coloring his face red.

"Yeah," Jimmy snorted. "She's just your 'biology partner'."

Kyle and T-Bone chimed in with annoying fake high falsetto voices, "Ooh, Bones, you're _so_ smart!" "Ooh, you need me to be your knight in shining armor!" "Ooh, you can't get hurt. I'll die, I tell you, I'll just die!"

Booth blushed a deeper red, turning an almost magenta color. Hope I can blame this on running around on the court…"Shut up," he glared at his friends, snatching the ball out of Jimmy's hands once more.

They'd finally stopped playing right around lunch time.

"Hey, wanna head over to Cecil's for lunch?" Kyle suggested, rubbing his stomach as though he was a starving man.

Cam, who had joined them as they started to walk off the court, raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Cecil's?" she question.

Booth nodded. "It's a diner we go to often - it's just a block away from the neighborhood," he explained.

Cam smiled at him coyly. "That sounds like a good idea," she said quickly, not wanting to miss out on lunch if Booth was going, as well.

Booth returned her smile with an apologetic one. "Sorry, but I'm gonna head home," he said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

Cam, disappointed and trying to find a way to ditch the other boys since Booth wasn't going to be there, looked on confusedly as Booth ducked his head, a blush covering his cheeks. She was even more bewildered when the boys started laughing.

At first she thought it had something to do with her, but then Booth's friends started teasing him, and her confusion cleared.

"He wants to get back to his 'Bones'," Kyle teased.

Booth glared at his friend and shoved him slightly, causing Kyle to stumble, still laughing uproariously. "Don't call her that, okay?"

"What, that your special name for her?"

_Well, yeah_. "No," he said, sounding a little too defensive. "She just…She's gonna be mad if she thinks everyone's gonna be calling her that now."

"Ooh, good idea," Jimmy chimed in. "We don't want to get him in trouble with the missus."

Booth threw the basketball in his hands at Jimmy, letting it lightly hit him on the side of his head. "Shut up, Jim," he grumbled. "I just wanna check on her - she forgets to eat sometimes."

Realizing that what he was saying really wasn't helping to make his point, he shook his head. "Whatever, man," he sighed. "Look, I'll see you guys around. I'm gonna go."

Cam watched him go, a look of serious contemplation on her face. She turned back to the other guys. Kyle and T-Bone were trying to get each other in a head lock, but Jimmy was looking at her. "You gonna head home now, too?" he asked knowingly. "Y'know, 'cuz Booth's not coming?"

Cam shook her head, a smile spreading across her lips. "Nope, I'm gonna go to Cecil's with you guys," she decided. "And you're gonna tell me everything there is to know about Booth and Temperance."

Hey, this was a good plan - so far, she felt like a fish out of water, just stumbling around not knowing where things stood and if she should move forward. If she could just understand Booth's relationship with the awkward girl with her clinical words and her oh-so-obvious crush on Booth…It might help.

Jimmy barked out a laugh. "Checking out the competition, huh?"

Cam raised an eyebrow. "You tell me," she shot back.

* * *

><p>Temperance, despite having her World History textbook splayed open in front of her, couldn't concentrate on any of the dates or events. Instead, her distracted mind kept lingering over one subject, and one subject only: Seeley Booth.<p>

Frankly, it irritated her how she couldn't stop thinking about him. It wasn't like he was all that interesting to think about. Sure, there was that whole…'He's _Booth_' thing, and the 'he saved my life' thing, and the 'he's devilishly handsome' thing…But it wasn't like that was a lot…

_Denial, thy name is Temperance_, she grumbled to herself.

A loud 'bang' sound startled her, and she jumped in her seat. Peering out the window she was facing, sitting at the desk in her room, Temperance couldn't see anything that would've caused the sound. _Probably just a tire blowing_.

She sighed, her head snapping around to look at the clock she'd hung on her wall. Her eyes widened as she saw the time - 12.30 p.m. She looked down at her textbook, opened to page 236, and at the fresh page in her notebook, with nothing written on it.

She had been sitting at her desk, thinking about Booth, for over two hours.

Temperance frowned, shaking her head and pushing her books slightly away from her.

Finals were just three months away, and here she was, staring off into space, thinking about a boy. This couldn't be happening. No matter what had happened in her life, no matter how horrible things had become, her mind was something she could always count on.

Her mind was the only thing in her life that she could be proud of. Not her new hairstyle or better clothes…Not even the one miracle in her life that had fallen into her lap: Booth, and his family.

No matter where she had been in her life, she had always been able to count on her mind. That was the one thing she wanted to be remembered of. She wanted to be brilliant Temperance Brennan, and one day, the whole world would know it, too.

That, however, wasn't going to happen if she were to sit in her room, simply staring at textbooks with the words blurring together, and daydream about Booth.

She wasn't going to be one of those people with potential they threw away so carelessly. She needed to be more than that. She needed to amount to something better than just 'the freak foster kid'.

It was no business of hers if Booth was interested in Cam, or if Cam wanted to 'make the first move' on him. She and Booth were simply friends and housemates.

_That's not true_, a small part of her mind reminded her. Temperance paused, giving in for just a moment. _We're partners, too_.

Her mind flashed back to her first day back to school after the incident at the Dawsons' house - the very same horrific incident she couldn't bring herself to resent fully because it had brought her to where she was now, living with Booth, Pops and Jared.

She had been nervous, and he had calmed her down by putting another label on their relationship. Something other than friendship.

"_We're partners, Bones. If we have each other's backs, then everything will work out."_

"_Partners? You mean lab partners?"_

"_I mean, yeah, that's the first thing we ever were to each other - partners. I just figured…It's a good way to describe what we have."_

"_Yes, I concur. Partners imply that neither of us is more superior than the other, that we're equals. I like that definition."_

"_So we're partners."_

"_Partners."_

They had smiled at each other, then, and she could still remember how beautiful he had looked smiling at her with a certain…Softness in his eyes, in his expression.

She wasn't sure if he knew this, but there was a certain rigidity, a certain…Manner in his actions, his movements, that was always ever present. She had attributed it to his dark childhood, though she had never asked this of him personally. She knew how touchy he was about the subject, and objectively, she'd say she would be too. No one liked talking about their horrible pasts.

But when he had smiled at her that morning, there had been none of that darkness that clouded his brown eyes. Just warmth and a certain solidity that she couldn't quite understand, but loved to revel in. There wasn't any of that hardness in the curve of his lips, just an open, easy smile.

"Hey."

Temperance was startled out of her thoughts for the second time that day. Turning her head around, she found Booth standing in the doorway of her room. He still had on his clothes from earlier, still sweat-drenched. His hair was wet, plastered to his head, and his muscular arms were crossed over his chest.

"Booth…You're done playing with the others?"

Booth rolled his eyes, stepping into the room, his arms dropping to his side. "We weren't playing, Bones," he repeated what he'd said at the basketball court. "Where were you?"

Temperance frowned at him confusedly. "What do you mean, Booth? I told you I was coming home," she reminded him.

He grinned a lopsided smile at her. "Yeah, I know. I meant, just now, when I came in…You looked like you were thinking hard," he clarified.

Temperance tamp down her blush as much as she could, which wasn't really all that much since she had such pale skin.

She shrugged, turning back around to face the window and effectively cutting off Booth's view of her face. "I was just…I had a lot on my mind," she answered lamely.

Booth raised an eyebrow at her horrible attempt at diversion. "What's going on, Bones?" he asked, walking over to her desk and leaning against the side of it.

He was worried about her. She wasn't acting like herself. These days…She was always drifting off into space. Her brows would furrow together, this cute little indent in between her eyes, she'd chew on her bottom lip, and her brilliant eyes would just stare off into space like she was thinking so hard about something that she'd forgotten all about the outside world.

And every time he'd catch her out on it, she would always seem…Jittery, somehow. There would be a flash across her face, like she felt guilty about something, but that look would come and go too quickly for him to catch.

He'd ask - he pried in every subtle manner as humanly possible - but he had gotten nothing so far, and he was getting tired of it. He was her best friend. He'd thought that, if there was anyone she could trust enough to let in, it would be him.

It sort of hurt his heart a little to know that there was something going on in her life, something that was obviously big enough that it was distracting her, and she felt the need to hide it completely from him.

"Nothing's going on, Booth," she answered immediately, pulling her textbook and notebook back towards her, grabbing a yellow highlighter from the 'My Funny Bones' mug Booth had gotten for her (one of the many that stood on her desk, resting against the wall the desk was propped against; this was her favorite because it was so Booth-like. It even had a smiling, anatomically incorrect skeleton dancing and holding a bouquet of red roses in its phalanges).

"Bull."

Temperance glared at him as he reached out to close her book. "Booth! I was studying!" And it really wasn't of any important that she had absolutely no idea what she'd been highlighting. "I'm very busy, Booth."

He gave her a narrowed-eyed look. "Bones, you're being weird," he stated bluntly.

"No, I'm not!"

"You won't even look at me," he pointed out.

Temperance sighed loudly before raising her head and pointedly looking him in the eyes. "There," she said snippily. "I'm looking at you. I'm busy, okay, Booth? Finals are coming up soon and I just want to concentrate on school."

Booth remained silent, but he didn't move from where he leaned his back against the wall, gazing at her with a frown on his face. Temperance had turned her head away and was now scribbling furiously in her notebook.

She was acting as vague and distant as she had the day they'd first met Cam. He could remember her saying that she had something going on and that she needed to figure it all out on her own. Was she still dealing with whatever it was? It had only been a few days since that conversation, so he supposed it was plausible.

"Booth," she said finally, her hand stilling and her pen poised over the paper. "Could you not just stand there and stare at me? It's disconcerting."

He sighed, uncrossing his arms and running one hand through his damp hair. "I just feel like you're shutting me out here, Bones," he confessed. "Is it…Does this have anything to do with what we talked about the other day?"

Temperance looked up at him, a confused look on her face.

"You know, the day we met Cam? You said you needed time to sort things out…" he trailed off, trying to jog her memory.

Temperance's mind flashed back to their conversation and she nodded, remembering it.

To Booth's surprise, Temperance's cheeks blushed a faint pink color. He didn't know that there was anything in their current conversation - or the one they'd had the other day - that would merit such a reaction, so it only served to confuse him even more.

"Oh," Temperance mumbled, dropping her head and letting her eyes trace over the picture in her World History textbook.

It was embarrassing to think that Booth had made the connection between her behavior today and the behavior that day. If he was able to come to this conclusion, she was sure that he would be able to come to the conclusion that she had started to develop a crush on him. That would be humiliating.

_You have got to get yourself together_, Temperance, she chided herself.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up to give Booth an apologetic smile. "Yes, it has to do with that," she answered truthfully, albeit vaguely.

When he saw that she wasn't going to offer him a better answer, he raised an eyebrow. "Do you still need time?" he asked with a sad smile.

She nodded, "And space."

His eyebrows shot up to his hairline, his expression falling. "What!"

Temperance shrugged her shoulders in a failed attempt at nonchalance. "Not completely," she hastened to explain. "Just…I need to think. Compartmentalize. I can't do that if you're always asking me about it."

"Compartmentalize what!" Booth asked, his voice rising to an octave so high it sounded like he was yelping. "What is 'it'?"

He was staring at her like she was some alien species, but she wasn't deterred.

"Booth," she waned, voice stern. "I'll tell you when the time is right, when I've thought it all out and have come to a reasonable, logical solution to the problem."

Now he simply looked worried. "Look, if you have a problem, you should talk to me about it," he urged her gently. "I want to be there for you."

She smiled at him, reaching out to pat his arm gently. "Thank you for that," she murmured. "But I have to work this out for myself."

He sighed, rolling his head back when he realized that she wasn't going to crack. "Alright, fine," he conceded sulkily. "But when you do figure it out…" he trailed off meaningfully.

Temperance nodded. "You'll be the first to know," she promised him. "Hey, the good thing is - my mind works at a much faster rate than yours."

He made a face, amused. "Yeah, thanks, Bones," he said dryly, rolling his eyes. "I'm gonna, uh, leave you alone to study…Take a shower."

She hid her smile, adopting a mock serious face as she answered. "That's a _very_ good idea, Booth," she said, wrinkling her nose in his direction.

Booth gasped at her comment, a smile threatening to break out on his face. "Wha…Are you trying to say I stink, Bones?" he said in an exaggeratedly outraged tone.

Temperance tilted her head to the side, shrugging. "Well…"

Booth shook his head at her. "You know, just for that, I'm gonna give you a hug," he told her, stepping towards her with his arms outstretched. "C'mere to Stinky, Bones!"

"No!" Temperance shouted in protest, laughing as she stumbled out of her chair and tried to evade him.

Unfortunately for her, Booth had longer, faster legs and longer arms. She laughed, squealing in protest, as Booth caught up to her just as she was about to vault over her bed. He wrapped his arms around her. Since she was almost sitting down on the bed, his underarms were near where her head was.

"Booth!" she complained, her shout of protest made inconvincible since she was laughing so hard. "Get off me!" she pushed at his sweaty arms and standing up on her feet so that he couldn't do that again.

Booth, chuckling, dropped his arms slightly, but kept them wrapped around her. "See, that's what you get for teasing me, Bones," he warned her playfully.

Temperance rolled her eyes, but she was wearing a huge happy smile that mirrored his own. "Whatever, Booth," she replied, her voice as soft and coy as his was.

Booth's smile faltered a little when he realized just how close they were standing - he had his arms wrapped around her waist, and her hands were on his biceps, just an inch of space between them.

He was suddenly hyperaware of everything that was Temperance Brennan.

Her gorgeous blue eyes were staring up at him, curious and sparkling and looking so pretty. Her shorter hair was pulled back into a pony tail, and he could just imagine tugging the silky strands from the confines of the hair tie, letting his fingers run through the smooth texture. He could smell the pretty smell he'd come to associate with her, the scent making him slightly dizzy - in a good way.

If he would lower his head, just a little, their lips would brush.

Temperance, realizing that she was probably being an idiot, just standing there with her eyes flickering from his brown orbs to his lips, quickly stepped out of Booth's 'stinky hug'.

"Um, I should probably…Get back to work," she muttered, stepping aside so that he could leave her room without having to brush past her.

Booth, understanding that he was being dismissed by his best friend, nodded his head. "Yeah, sure," he said, hoping she didn't notice how his voice was heavy with disappointment.

_The opportunity had been right there_, he thought wistfully. _Then again, maybe it's a good thing I didn't kiss her right then. I probably _do_ stink. Not how a first kiss should go…_

Temperance watched as he left, and waited until she heard the shower running before she sunk down on the edge of her bed. Sighing heavily, she rubbed the palms of her hands gently over her face.

_So, clearly, I need to try harder at compartmentalizing_, she commented to herself sarcastically.

She stood up and made her way to her desk. Her eyes briefly flickered to the window as she was clearing up the clutter on her desk. Catching sight of something, Temperance raised her head and looked outside to see Cam, walking past Pops' house on the sidewalk. She could see Cam turning her head, looking in the direction of the house, before passing by and walking out of sight to the house next door.

Temperance frowned as she felt a nervous fluttering in her stomach. Her heart had skipped a painful beat when she'd seen Cam - an irrational reaction to the older girl who had her sights set upon Temperance's best friend. _I need to try _much_ harder_, she resolved.

* * *

><p><em>April 6, 1991<em>

By the time Friday night had rolled around once more, Booth was beyond frustrated.

Temperance had gone to great measures to avoid him. She wasn't just 'thinking' like she had before. The first time she had told him about needing some time to figure things out, she had still hung out with him and bantered with him, watched movies with him and…Well, things didn't seem much different. Sure, she'd look to be deep in thought a few times, but that was it.

Now she was refusing offers to go to Cecil's, he could barely get her to spend more than ten minutes in the room with him and then, on Friday night, she claimed to be too tired to have their 'traditional' movie night.

"Why don't you invite Cam?" she had suggested, a smile plastered on her face and a strangely hollow sound in her voice. "She would be more than happy to keep you company."

Then she had gone up to her room, and had locked herself in there for the rest of the night. He knew she wasn't asleep - he could see that the light was still on from the small gap between the floor and the door, and she was obsessive about not wasting electricity. Still, she didn't answer whenever he'd knock on the door.

_Was she mad at me?_ Booth had wondered as he laid back on his bed, twirling his basketball on his finger over and over again. _Did I do something? I know she said she had something to think about, but it feels like she'd mad at me_.

And, of course, that line of thought just led him to thinking over everything he'd done the past few weeks to try and find something he'd done that was rude or offensive to her somehow. Other than stealing a look at her Trig homework a couple of weeks ago, there was nothing he could think of.

He drifted off to a fitful sleep soon after, basketball clutched to his body and a frown etched on his handsome face.

Now, the next day, as he got ready to go to the basketball court to play with Jimmy, Kyle and T-Bone again like he did every Saturday morning, he pondered on whether or not he should ask Temperance to go with him.

Finishing up tying the laces of his shoes, he stood up and grabbed the basketball next to where he had sat on the bed.

He paused at her open bedroom door, looking inside to see her sitting on her bed, her back propped up against the headboard, with her pillow in between. She had a book in her hand - Moby Dick - and she was reading intently.

Deciding to just ask her if she wanted to go with him, like she'd done for a few times now, he raised his hand and rapped his knuckles against her door. Temperance looked up, looking a little surprised to see him there.

"Hey," he gave her a small smile, shuffling awkwardly in the doorway. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to come with me to the court?"

Temperance nodded, her eyes drifting over to the clock on her wall. "Oh! Yeah, of course I will," she said, climbing off the bed.

His eyes lit up. "You will?" He noticed, then, that she was wearing her sneakers, a pair of jeans and her jacket was at the ready on the bed.

"Well, yes, I've been going to the court every Saturday for a while now, haven't I?" she asked rhetorically. "I got ready and everything…I just got carried away with my book."

He smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Well, good," he commented lightly. "I'd be sorta insulted if you turned me down to read about a whale."

She chuckled, shaking her head at him.

After a quick breakfast they'd grabbed at Cecil's, they made their way to the basketball court by the lake. As they walked together side by side, Booth chanced several sideways glances at Temperance.

"So…" he trailed off.

Temperance glanced at him briefly. She had to laugh a little at the odd look on his face. "So…?" she repeated questioningly.

He sighed, shaking his head as he chickened out last minute. "Nothing," he muttered. "Just… How are your revisions going?"

Temperance shrugged. "Good," she answered, easily believing this was what he wanted to ask. "Yours, however, are going horribly."

"Hey!" he protested, even though it was true.

Temperance realized that, too, because she merely gave him a stern look. "Booth, you get distracted every time you try and study," she pointed out. "You got a 46 for your last test."

He frowned at her. "You're not even in my Spanish class," he said, sounding very much like a petulant child.

She shrugged. "No, but I _do_ know my Spanish," she said smugly. Her parents, when they had been around, had always taught her everything they could. Her mother had been very fluent in Spanish, having taken the language all through high school and college. Temperance had learned it so well growing up that it might as well be her native tongue.

"Of course you do," he muttered.

She smirked at his tone. "Do you want me to tutor you?" she offered.

He tilted his head to the side to look at her, eyes narrowed. She had been doing everything she could to avoid spending more time with him that necessary for an entire week, and their tutoring sessions had grown sort of strained with silence, but here she was, offering to tutor him even more?

"I mean, if you want to graduate to senior year…" she trailed off, mistaking his silence as reluctance to study even more than he wanted.

He chuckled, shaking his head at her attempt to tempt him into studying. "Sure, Bones," he gave her a lopsided grin. "Thanks for helping me out."

She beamed, "That's what friends are for."

He was in such high spirits that she was apparently warming up to him all over again that he didn't even think to question why she was more eager to spend time with him. They bickered and bantered the rest of the way to Rogers Park, which made his heart strangely happy, and he even had her laughing at a silly joke he was sure wasn't even funny.

"Looks like we're the first ones here," Temperance commented as they stepped onto the empty basketball court.

Instead of being deterred, Booth turned to Temperance. "Let me teach you a jump shot," he said, taking her hand and leading her away from the bench. Temperance quickly placed her copy of Moby Dick on the wooden bench before allowing herself to be led away by Booth.

"What? No…Booth, I don't play basketball," she protested, a small smile on her face as she stood next to Booth in front of the hoop.

"Well, you don't now, but I'll give you a few pointers. You'll be playing like a pro," he promised with a cheeky grin.

Temperance rolled her eyes at the doubtful statement. "Highly unlikely, Booth," she said wryly.

Booth ignored that, and held up the ball, preparing to give her a demonstration. "You've gotta sort of flip your wrist," he told her. "You see? Like this…" he threw the ball, making a perfect basket.

As Booth jogged over to pick up the ball from where it had landed on the ground, Temperance called out, "Anthropologically speaking, sports are a way for boys to practice their battle skills."

Okay, and we're back on the weird factor, he rolled his eyes heavenward. "Yeah, okay," he said dryly, handing her the basketball and helping her to focus on the jump shot he was trying to teach her. "So you want to just…Focus straight up, get up on your toes and just…"

"You know, it doesn't make any sense for sports to have such a high priority in society when…"

Booth exhaled loudly, giving her a look. "Bones, would you just…? Let me teach you, huh?" he pleaded, knowing that her very opinionated self probably had a rant lasting hours regarding how useless sports were.

She pursed her lips, but nodded her head after little to no consideration. He stepped behind her, smiling happily as he instructed her. "Alright, square your shoulders to the basket," he said, his hands dropping to her shoulders and helping her relax. "Bring the ball up right past your nose, like this," his arms went around her body, lifting her arms up and helping her aim the ball to the basket. "Bend your knees a little…Just relax your hips…"

His hands went to her hips, his fingertips lightly pressing against her hips through the material of her shirt and coat. "And just shoot," he said, his mouth brushing against her dark hair.

Temperance nodded, taking in what he had said earlier when he'd demonstrated. She flicked her wrist and watched as the orange ball flew through the air. Unfortunately, instead of making the basket, the ball bounced off the rim and fell to the ground.

Booth winced. "Well, that wasn't perfect…But it wasn't embarrassing, either," he assured Temperance, jogging over to retrieve the ball and making a perfect basket.

Temperance frowned, not at all happy that she wasn't able to do a simple move Booth had so clearly mastered. She knew, logically, that just like science was her forte, sports was Booth. It wasn't feasible to think that at some point, Booth would beat her intellectually, just like it wasn't feasible to think that she would beat him at sports.

But she was determined to at least be able to do this 'jump shot' thing Booth could do.

"Give me the ball," she ordered Booth, who seemed only half surprised at her determination - he knew how competitive she could be. He just never figured it would ever be about a sport. "I want to try again."

And she did.

It took her eight tries before she managed to score a basket. "Oh! Look, it went through the net thing," Temperance said excitedly, turning around to grin happily at Booth.

He was so entranced by her - _did anyone know that when she smiled that big, her gleaming eyes seemed bigger somehow?_ - that he didn't even bother to correct her and tell her that it was called a 'hoop'.

"I saw," he promised. "Congratulations, Bones." He was pleasantly surprised when she slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. His arms automatically went to her waist, and he smiled as he buried his nose in her sweet smelling hair.

She pulled back far too quickly for his taste. He grabbed the ball and followed her as she walked towards the bench. "Well, that was fun," she chuckled, sitting down on the bench and placing her copy of Moby Dick on her lap.

Booth sunk down next to her. "It was," he agreed. "Listen, Bones, you wanna watch a movie with me? I mean, we didn't get to have our movie night yesterday…"

Temperance nodded, smiling at the idea. "Sure, Booth," she answered. Yesterday she had been a little too distracted with Shane's question and seeing Cam all dolled up, leaning against Booth's car and chatting with him as he waited for Temperance. "Tonight?"

He winced. "Oh. I can't," he said apologetically. "I promised Cam we'd go see Defending Your Life at the movies tonight."

Truth be told, he wasn't particularly happy about watching the movie: it was a romantic film and he was more of an action guy, or a horror flick guy. Besides, he had a bad feeling that Cam thought this was a date. He planned on clarifying, if things got weird or something.

"Oh," Temperance said, carefully schooling her features so he couldn't catch the sadness she was currently feeling at the thought of Booth going out on a date with Cam. She propped open her book and let her eyes fall on the random page she'd opened it to, avoiding his gaze. "Some other time, then."

_Booth isn't my boyfriend_, she told herself resolutely. _It shouldn't bother you that he's going on a date with Cam_.

They lapsed into silence for a few moments, with Booth transferring the ball from one palm to the other. "So…Bones," he said finally, deciding to just come out and ask her. "Are you…I mean, the thing that was bothering you? Are you done thinking about it now?"

Temperance pursed her lips, contemplating his question.

She had, true to her words to Booth, thought about the emerging feelings she had developed for him a lot throughout the week. She had come to a few conclusions.

Firstly, she wasn't even sure that her feelings for him were anything more than a crush. Since she didn't put much stock into emotions or psychology, she had absolutely no interest in pursuing the subject further, even in her mind. So, she was going to just ignore that any of those feelings were there.

Secondly, ignoring her feelings didn't work. So, even if it was painfully difficult, she had to move past those feelings. Compartmentalizing was something that she had done for quite some time now, ever since that Christmas when her parents had disappeared. Even though it had only been a few years, the magnitude of everything she had gone through had made her somewhat of an expert on compartmentalizing. It would take some time, but she was a patient girl.

Thirdly, she was going to need a distraction from Booth. While finals were an important enough event in her upcoming future, Temperance was more than just 'well prepared' for them. Hence, she had been seriously considering saying 'yes' to the first ever offer she'd ever gotten from a boy to take her out on a date.

"_Temperance?"_

_Temperance looked up from where she had been busily transferring the appropriate items she'd need for the weekend from the locker to her bag. She saw a student that she had seen around school, and even talked to a few times. She remembered that his name was Shane._

"_Shane, hi," she gave him a smile. Shane was one of the few people in school she didn't despise._

_He was in the foster system, just like herself, and had been in it since he was about nine years old. They'd talked a few times about it, and he had been genuinely happy for her when he found out that she had been taken in by Booth's grandfather, since she believed that she would have a better home life with them._

_Shane grinned at her, running a hand through his floppy blonde hair. "How did you do on the history test?" he asked, and grimaced immediately after. That wasn't really an 'I'm-interested-in-you' opener._

_Temperance, thankfully, didn't notice as she switched her Math textbook for her French one. "Good," she answered immediately. "I got a 96."_

_His eyes widened slightly. AP French was probably the hardest class he was taking. He'd barely managed to scrape by with a 67. "Wow," he muttered. "That's pretty awesome."_

_Temperance looked up at him briefly. "Do you need any help with it?" she asked him, concerned._

_Shane shook his head. "No, uh, it's okay," he assured her. He didn't want her to think he was slow or something. Maybe she liked the whole brains thing. After all, as close as she was with Seeley Booth (and newer, more ludicrous, gossip just kept coming in every day about the two of them), she didn't seem to think of him romantically. They were both still just friends as far as Shane could see. "I'm good."_

_Temperance nodded, closing her locker door shut and zipping up her school bag. "Well, I have to get home…"_

"_Wait!" Shane called out, nerves erupting in his body once more. Temperance halted, turning back around to face Shane. "Listen, I wanted to ask you something…"_

_Temperance waited patiently for Shane to speak._

_He took a deep breath and begun, "I wanted to ask you out."_

_Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "Ask me out?" she asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth as though they were something foreign._

_Shane nodded. "On a date," he clarified._

_Temperance's face smoothed over as understanding washed over her. "Oh," was the only thing she could say, her eyes wide in shock._

_She had never been asked out before. She had looked fairly awkward - much more so than she did now - growing up. She had stopped looking so weird when she was about thirteen and a half, and had even looked halfway pretty. But by then, she was already in the system and no one would look twice in her direction._

_Shane, unaware of her thought process, started to ramble. "I mean, I think you're really pretty, Tempe," he told her, a nervous smile on his lips. "And, I mean, we already have something in common - we're both in the system…And, I-I don't mean to say that that's the reason I'm asking you out, but it's still something we share, and…"_

_Temperance held up her hand, halting his speech. "Shane, thank you for the offer," she told him, a little too formally._

_Shane's face fell, thinking that she was going to reject him._

_She surprised him when she continued, "I'm unable to come up with a definitive answer as of right now…This has come as a shock to me…Will you give me some time to think about it?"_

_Shane's face brightened up once more. "Oh! Sure, sure," he nodded, happy that she wasn't rejecting him straight up. "Take all the time you need…"_

Though Temperance still didn't have an answer to Shane's question, she had been leaning towards saying 'yes' to him. If she were to date another boy, the only boy who had ever shown any romantic interest in her, then maybe she would be able to diminish her crush on Booth.

"Yes, I'm done thinking about it now," she answered Booth's question.

He looked immensely relieved by that. "Oh! Good," he nodded. "Good. See, I thought you might be, since you're all…" he waved his hand vaguely in her direction. Not wanting to say 'less distant than before', he shook his head. "Never mind."

He grinned at her, and stared expectantly at her for a few long moments. "Well?" he prompted when she simply continued to stay silent.

"'Well' what?"

Booth exhaled loudly. "Aren't you going to tell me what the problem was in the first place?" he asked more clearly this time. "You said you would once you figured everything out."

Temperance frowned. "Oh, yes. I did say that," she murmured.

In hindsight, she probably shouldn't have promised that. She didn't want him to know about her embarrassing crush on him.

Then again…It _would_ be better for him to find out about it now rather than at an inopportune moment, if she did something mortifying like hug him for too long or kissed him on the cheek. She'd been getting more and more irrational impulses lately, one of which even involved running her fingers through his dark hair while he'd been sitting down against her legs while she was on the couch, the both of them watching early morning cartoons while eating breakfast before school.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself to just tell him. While it was an embarrassing thing to admit, she could at least compartmentalize enough to let him know this one tiny fact.

"Booth," she said, in this formal tone that absolutely tickled him. "It appears that I have recently begun to develop some romantic feelings towards you," she informed him.

Booth, who had just unscrewed the lid of his water bottle, started to choke on his water. Once he had calmed down somewhat, his face still a funny shade of purple, he blurted out, "What!" _Did he hear her right or was he starting to get hallucinations?_

Choosing to ignore the way he had reacted to her statement, especially since he was fine, she continued, "It's fairly predictable, considering the fact that you're a very attractive male and I'm emotionally connected to you."

Booth just stared at her incredulously, a stunned expression on his face. There he was, frozen in shock, and she was just talking about her 'emotional connection' to him like she was mentioning the weather.

"Don't worry, though," she assured him. "I'm doing my best to compartmentalize my feelings until I get over you."

Booth did another double take at her words. "What!" he repeated, his voice rising a pitch.

When all she did was continue to read Moby Dick, he snatched the book from her grasp and placed it on his other side.

Temperance's head snapped in his direction. "Hey!" she protested. "Booth, that was extremely rude! I was reading!"

He ignored that. "Well, I was hyperventilating because you just - out of nowhere - told me that you have feelings for me!" he snapped back.

She glared. "I told you that you've got nothing to worry about," she reminded him. "I'm taking care of it."

He scoffed, "'Taking care of it'?" Booth shook his head. "This isn't a problem, Bones. This is…Well, I don't exactly know what it is, but-"

"Look, it doesn't even matter anyway," she cut him off, not wanting to deal with hearing him tell her that nothing could ever happen between the two of them. "I'm going on a date with someone else."

"Whoa, whoa, wait…_What!_" he growled, standing up to glower at her, hands on his hips.

She didn't enjoy having to crane her neck to look at him, so she stood up as well. "What?" she asked naively.

"Whaddaya mean 'what'!" he snapped. "You can't just tell a guy that you have feelings for him, then say you're going on a date with someone else in the next!"

"Why not!"

"Because it's not normal!"

She stared angrily at him. "Well, I'm sorry I'm not as normal as you'd like me to be," she retorted. "Perhaps Cam would fit your ideals more?"

Booth made a face. "Cam? _Cam!_ What does _Cam_ have to do with anything!" he yelled, frustrated.

Temperance gave him an outraged look. "Don't you yell at me, Seeley Booth!" she yelled in his face.

"_I'll yell at you if I wanna yell at you_!"

Temperance walked around him to grab her book, but he stopped her with a hand wrapped around her wrist. She yanked her hand away from his grip, scowling her displeasure at him.

"Who is this boy, anyway, huh?" Booth demanded, not liking the thought of her going out with any of the guys from school. "What's his name? What does he want with you?"

Temperance, realizing that their 'conversation' wasn't over, crossed her arms across her chest. "His name is Shane," she answered with a barely controlled voice.

"What, as in, 'come back'?"

She furrowed her eyebrows at him. "I don't know what that means," she shook her head, confusion melding into anger once more. "And what the hell do you _mean_ what does he want from me? He wants to date me. You know, that thing that people do that would inevitably lead to the physical-"

He cut her off, not wanting to hear more. "I asked that because the guys in school are jerks, Bones, and you know that," he pointed out, his tone matching hers as he glared right back at her. "And here you are, just…"

"Shane is different," she insisted.

"Oh, really?" he said sarcastically, clearly disbelieving.

"Yes, really," she answered indignantly. "He's a foster kid, like me. He's not cruel, like your so-called friends."

He ignored that. "So how come I've never met this 'Shane' before, if you're so close to him?"

"Well, it's not like you know everyone I know, Booth," she huffed.

He gave her an 'are you kidding me?' stare. "Yes, I do."

"Well, you know what?" she demanded angrily. "What Shane and I do together is none of your business. You'll date Cam, and I'll date Shane, and that's that-"

"Whoa!" he held up both his hands once more, halting her. "Who said anything about me dating Cam!" he sounded perfectly incredulous of that.

Temperance raised an eyebrow. "Oh, please, Booth," she scoffed. "If _I_ can clearly see that she's interested in you," and the fact that Cam had told her this over and over again had nothing to do with it. "Then surely _you_ can figure that out yourself, what with your 'gut' and your plentiful experience with girls-"

"Okay, look, so yeah, I know that Cam is…Interested," he said delicately. Temperance rolled her eyes at his phrasing. "But it doesn't mean I am!"

"You're going out with her tonight," she reminded him, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration.

"As _friends_!"

"You are _so_ oblivious!"

"Well, I would've asked you to come, too, but you've been so distant with me lately that you won't even spend more than five minutes with me in the same room!" he said, his voice getting louder and louder with each word until he was screaming at her again.

He couldn't help it - she had that effect on him.

She glowered at him. "That's not true!" she protested. "We spent two hours after school yesterday in the living room."

"For tutoring," he made a face. "That doesn't count."

"Does, too."

"Does not."

"Yah-huh."

"Nah-uh!" he shook his head. We've degenerated to a couple of little kids. "What's this Shane guy even like, huh?"

She shrugged, defensive and more than a little embarrassed about her decision to rashly blurt out that she had a date with Shane. "He's nice," she replied. At Booth's scoff, she continued to list Shane's good qualities. "He's attractive, he's smart…And we already have something in common, being in the foster system. Common ground is very important if we were to begin a relationship."

"Well, I don't approve!"

Temperance gasped, her eyes flaring. "Who says you have the right to approve anything!" she snapped, poking his chest with her finger. "You're not my guardian, Booth!"

"No, but Pops is," he reminded her. "I'm sure he wouldn't approve of you going on a date with Shawn."

"It's Shane," she corrected him. "And I'm fifteen-"

"Almost," Booth interjected.

Temperance pretended like he hadn't spoken, "Fifteen is a perfectly acceptable age to start dating."

"No, it's not!"

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it's-"

She interrupted him, grabbing her book so she could storm off. "Are we really going to do this again?" she growled out, irritated. "If Pops can agree to you going on a date with Cam, then he can agree to me going on a date with-"

"For the last freakin' time, _it's not a date_!" Booth yelled, frustrated. "You're being ridiculous!"

"Well, you're being a philistine!" she retorted. "Why does it even bother you that I'm going out with Shane?" she demanded angrily, fuming. "Why would it even matter to you if-"

Booth, without thinking clearly, had stepped forward. His hands cupped her cheeks, tilting her face upwards. Bending his head, his mouth slanted over hers, bringing their lips together in a firm, branding kiss.

It was short - far too short than he would've liked - but it was their first kiss, and his answer to her question.

He knew it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, and he waited for her reaction to his kiss in nervous anticipation.

Temperance, meanwhile, had completely frozen over. She stood stock still, her lips still tingling from his kiss. She had dropped her book to the ground, and her hands were placed in front of her, where she had gripped at his shirt when he'd kissed her.

"Bones?" Booth called out tentatively when she just stood there, frozen in shock. "Bones, are you-"

She had lifted her head at the sound of his voice, the moniker he'd given her snapping her out of her daze. Feeling suddenly angry for no particular reason, Temperance lifted her hand and slapped him across the cheek.

Booth's head snapped to the side, his hand flying to his stinging cheek. "Ow! Dammit, Bones! What the hell was that-"

The next thing he knew, as he turned his head back to look at her, she had stepped up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth to his.

All lucid thoughts flew out of his mind as he responded instantly, eagerly to her kiss. His arm wrapped around her waist, pressing her to him, front to front. His hand flew to her hair and, just like he had fantasized a week ago, he let his fingers run through her silky soft locks. He had brushed his hand through her hair before, of course, once or twice, but doing it while he was kissing her, tasting the sweet cinnamon-y taste of her mouth, was strangely…Erotic, somehow.

They kissed almost violently, their lips brushing each other as they sought to get as close as possible, their mouths parting and their tongues intertwining. She was a little hesitant in her movements, and he figured it was because she'd probably never been kissed before him, but she still felt so good.

As corny as it sounded, being with her right there on the court, felt like all his dreams come true. It wasn't something he'd ever admit to anyone, and it definitely wasn't something he'd say out loud, but it felt like…It felt real. It felt like he'd come alive for the first time in his life.

He shivered slightly when he felt her fingers raking his scalp, her arms still around his neck. She pulled away slightly, but his lips was chasing after hers. Softly sucking on her bottom lip, they were back to making out all over again.

Eventually, they did stop, Temperance pushing away from him and backing out of his embrace.

_Whoa_, Booth thought, stunned, as he looked at her. There had been many times, especially these past few weeks, when he'd looked at her and had been stunned by the way she looked. But he had never seen her when she'd been thoroughly kissed before, and wow…She looked amazing like that. Her blue eyes were a hazier, grayer blue, and more stunning than ever. Her cheeks were flushed pink, as was the tip of her nose, and her lips were swollen and a deep shade of red.

He opened his mouth to say something - anything - but she beat him to it.

"Um…Thank you?" she said, phrasing it like a question.

He furrowed his brows, confused, and shook his head. _'Thank you'? What sort of a response was that? Especially to a kiss like _that_?_

He was about to reply, when she stepped around him and broke into a run, heading off in the direction he knew would lead back to Pops' house. He spun around, watching her leave. She was actually, _literally_, running from him.

Booth sighed, running his hand down his face.

It was only then that he noticed Jimmy and T-Bone standing there by the side of the court, watching him with amused expressions and dropped jaws. "Whoa, man," Jimmy said. "I've never seen a girl actually run from you after you kiss her."

T-Bone, sneaking a look at the direction Temperance had run off in. She was long gone. "And she ran so fast," he added, teasing his friend.

Booth glared at the two of them. "Not a word," he warned. "To anyone. Not to me, not to each other, not to Kyle, not to anyone. Not even to yourselves in an empty room."

"Sure, man."

"This did not happen," he insisted. "I mean it."

"Uh-huh," T-Bone chuckled.

Booth turned to retrieve his basketball from the bench - maybe a few rounds with the guys would shake off the tension he was feeling.

Unfortunately for him, he stumbled on something. He managed to catch himself with one hand braced over the backrest of the bench. He looked down to see Moby Dick on the floor.

He bent down and picked it up, frowning as he fingered the book. In her haste to get away from him, Temperance had forgotten her book.

He sighed, hoping that he hadn't screwed up everything with her. It hadn't _felt_ like he had screwed anything up when they'd been kissing - it had felt like she was as into it as he was. But maybe he had been wrong, and maybe he had screwed everything up between them.

Booth placed the book on the bench, snatching the basketball in his hands and turning on his heel to head over to the hoop.

He would bring the book back to her later, and they would talk. He was determined to work things out with her. She wasn't like any other girl he'd ever had in his life, and she definitely wasn't like any other girl in the world.

He _had_ to work things out with her.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading.<p>

Juliet.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** In this story, Booth's dad left Booth and Jared, leaving them in Hank's care, when Booth was 13 and Jared was 9.

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>April 28, 1991<em>

It had been twenty-two days since the first and - the way it seemed at the moment - the only time Booth and Temperance had kissed.

During that time, they hadn't done much with each other. Booth could count on one hand the number of times Temperance had even had a conversation with him in the past three weeks. Even during tutoring sessions - including Spanish - she just focused on the work, and if nothing needed to be explained, she used one-liners like 'good' or 'okay'.

He hadn't been able to get her to talk about anything. When he'd gotten home from the court that day, she'd already holed up in her room. He had ended up leaving the book on the coffee table in the living room.

She wouldn't ride with him to school, opting for the painstaking option of walking to school, though she did glare at him like he'd committed murder when he had given Cam a ride for a few days because her car was broken down.

She wouldn't talk to him at the dinner table, she wouldn't go with him to the basketball court on Saturdays anymore and she definitely didn't wake up early on school mornings to make him breakfast and watch cartoons together. That last one hurt the most.

"So, are you ever going to tell me what's going on with you and Tempe?" Pops asked him as they sat out on the porch deck, dominoes spread out on the table Pops kept there.

Booth frowned at his grandfather. "Nothing's going on," he said defensively.

Pops gave him a look. "Now, Shrimp, I hope you don't think I'm stupid enough to fall for that," Pops chided him gently. "She's hardly been able to look you in the eye for weeks."

Booth sighed. It wasn't fair how Pops seem to know everything, he sulked silently. "It's just… We got into a fight," he said, his words slow and deliberate as he considered what to say and what not to. He wasn't sure he wanted his grandfather to know that he'd kissed Temperance.

"About what?"

Booth blushed slightly, but waved his hand to dismiss the question. "Ah, nothing important," he answered as nonchalantly as possible.

Pops raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't an important fight, but it was big enough to cause a rift between the two of you for three weeks?" he asked, aghast.

Booth scowled. "There's no rift," he said defensively. "No rift. We're just…Look, the fight…It got out of hand. And I thought she was enjoying it, but I don't know, I think maybe I was wrong?"

Pops frowned at his grandson. "You thought the little lady was _enjoying_ the fight?"

"What? No," Booth replied, his head snapping up to look at his grandfather. Getting confused about what he had revealed and what he really needed to keep quiet about, he continued to babble on, "Yes? What?"

Pops shook his head, chuckling at Booth. "Listen, Shrimp," he said sagely, about to impart another advice to the grandson that was apparently all grown up now. "It doesn't matter what the fight was about - just apologize to her."

Booth sighed, bringing his hand to his head and rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. "I don't even know if what I did was wrong, or if it was what I said, or what I didn't say…" he shook his head, dropping his head back and rolling it slightly. "Bones sure is one complicated gal."

Pops laughed. "Yeah, well, those are the ones worth fighting for," he reached out and patted Booth's arm.

Booth and Pops shared a smile, borne out of love and respect for one another, of gratitude, and of the same knowledge that Temperance Brennan had done a number on Seeley Booth, even if it wasn't admitted out loud.

Just as Booth opened his mouth to ask his Pops if he knew what he should do - and was _this_ close to just confessing everything, since if anyone could help him, he knew it would be Hank Booth - when the front door swung open.

Temperance walked out of the house, her book bag slung over her shoulder, jacket dangling over an arm. Her eyes fell to the table, and though they briefly flickered to Booth, she was mostly ignoring his presence. "Pops, I'm going to head over to the library today," she informed him quietly. "Is that okay?"

"Sure, sweetheart," Pops answered with a smile. "Don't study too hard."

Temperance chuckled at that - he had to be the only adult in the world who'd say that to his charge. "Uh, I won't," she replied, waving to him once before turning back to face the front and walk down the porch steps.

Booth watched her leave, biting his lip as his eyes followed her movements. Before she had even made two steps past the steps, he had bolted out of his seat. He placed his hands on the porch railing, leaning his weight against it. "Bones!" he called out. She halted her movements, but she didn't turn around. "Do you want me to drive you there?"

Temperance turned her head slightly, though she didn't fully turn around to look at him. "No, thank you," she said in a clipped, curt tone. "I'm taking the bus."

He sighed, watching with a frown on his face as Temperance continued on her way, briskly walking away from the house.

He meant what he had said to Pops - she was confusing him.

Before her, everything was simple. If there was a pretty girl, and he was interested, he'd ask her out, they'd go on a date, they'd kiss and nothing strange like said pretty girl running away or avoiding him like the plague after they'd made out or treating him like he was a serial killer on the loose.

But now…It was like he was out of his element. He had no idea what to say, or how to act or even what to do to make things right.

It was driving him insane, but he remembered the pact he had made with himself the day he had kissed her on the court. He had promised himself that he was going to fix things with her, and he would. Pops had been right about one thing - Temperance was worth the fight. Whether he got to keep her as his best friend, or whether he could get her to be with him as more than just friends…It didn't matter. All he needed was for her to be in his life.

"Pops, I gotta go," he blurted out, his mind working a mile a minute as he tried to think of the perfect way to apologize to her.

He barely heard Pops' reply as he ran inside, grabbed his coat and keys and ran back outside. He was just about to jump inside his car when he heard someone calling his name. Turning around, he found himself face to face with the first friend he'd made since moving to Chicago to live with Pops after his old man abandoned him and Jared.

"Hey, man," Jimmy greeted him, a raised eyebrow thrown his way as he watched Booth's hectic expression. "Kyle's better now so we thought of heading to the court, shoot some hoops…"

Booth shook his head. "Naw, I can't," he said apologetically. "Hey…Do you know if the fair is still open?"

Jimmy gave him a look that suggested he thought Booth had lost his mind. "You're ditching us to go to the fair?" he asked, incredulous.

Booth shrugged, "It's for a good cause."

Jimmy stared blankly at him for a moment before his expression cleared up. "You takin' Temperance?" At the shake of Booth's head, Jimmy's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, surprised. "Cam?"

Booth scowled at his friend. "Why the hell do people assume I'm interested in Cam?" he demanded. "We're _just_ friends."

"Well, _I_ know that," Jimmy assured Booth. "Does she know that?"

Booth shook his head, irritated. _Okay, dude's gonna be a psychologist or something one day_, he thought bemusedly. "I don't have time for this," he grumbled. "I've gotta go."

The fair, thankfully, was still open.

The first place he rushed off to the moment he'd parked his car was the prize booth, to check if they still had what Temperance wanted the day they'd come to the fair.

"_Okay, so I've got two hundred tickets," Temperance said, counting the yellow slips in her hand. "How about you?"_

"_One-eighty," he answered, biting into his funnel cake. "Wonder what we could get."_

_Temperance shrugged, though he could see her eyes lighting up as they neared the prize booth. "What do you want, Booth?" she asked him, gaze roving over the array of soft toys and carnival prizes on display._

_Booth chuckled. "Whoa, these stuff are way too girly for me," he protested. Temperance rolled her eyes at him. "You can combine our tickets and get whatever you want."_

_She looked surprised at his offer, and raised her eyebrow questioningly. "Really? You don't mind?"_

_He shook his head, smiling reassuringly at her._

_Temperance beamed widely, turning around to look at the prizes again. There were only two other people in front of them, so she did a quick once-over. Her eyes fell on a large stuffed cat: a golden-furred puma that had to be half her size. It looked so soft, and really quite adorable._

"_That puma looks so cute," she whispered._

_Booth's eyes followed hers and he choked on a laugh. "Whoa, that thing's huge!" he grinned. "Figures you'd go for the biggest."_

_She cocked an eyebrow at him, frowning confusedly. "What do you mean?"_

"_You never settle for second best, Bones."_

_She scowled at him, hiding her embarrassed blush. "It's a fair, Booth," she pointed out childishly. "I'm allowed to indulge in my inner child."_

_He chuckled. "Alright, alright, Bones," he soothed. "I didn't say it wasn't a good choice."_

_They were at the front of the line now, and the bored-looking teenage boy behind the counter were giving them both impatient looks as he chewed loudly on his gum. "Hey, man," Booth started to say._

_Temperance interrupted him, giving him a sharp jab to the ribs and a glare even as he winced and retracted his arm from around her shoulders to rub at the tender spot. "I can speak for myself, thank you," she informed him in a huffy tone._

_When he rolled his eyes, she turned back to face the front. "Excuse me," she addressed the college-aged boy. "How many tickets must I have to retrieve the puma as a prize?"_

_The boy blinked at her blankly. "Huh?"_

"_The large cat, dude," Booth simplified. "How much?"_

_The boy nodded in understanding, "Ten thousand."_

_Booth's eyes bulged slightly. "Whoa - ten thousand!"_

_The boy simply shrugged. "Sorry," he said unapologetically, his eyes drifting back to Temperance. "Well?"_

_Temperance, whose face had fallen slightly at his answer, roved her eyes over one of the smaller prizes. "I have three hundred and eighty tickets," she informed the boy. "What can I get with that?"_

_Eventually, she managed to exchange the tickets for a small puppy soft toy and a globe key chain. "Aw, I'm sorry you couldn't get the cat, Bones," Booth said to her in a soft tone, wrapping his arm around her shoulders once more._

_Temperance shrugged. "It's okay," she assured him with a sigh. "It's to be expected that it would cost more than less than four hundred tickets. It was the largest prize there was."_

_At his sympathizing look, she gave him a smile. "Really, Booth, I'm fine. It's just a fair," she chuckled._

_Booth, smiling now, held out his half-eaten funnel cake towards her. "Want a bite?"_

_Temperance wrinkled her nose. "That's really unhealthy, Booth," she chided._

"_That's half the fun of eating a funnel cake," he insisted, inching the dessert closer to her lips._

_She fought a smile, her eyes trained on the funnel cake and her head inching back as it inched closer. "I don't think s-Mmpfh! Booth!" she complained through a mouthful of the funnel cake he'd just stuffed in her mouth, half laughing, half glaring._

_He merely grinned impishly at her. "Good, huh?" he said knowingly as she chewed, bringing the dessert back to his lips for another bite._

The same college dude was behind the counter at the prize booth. "Hey," Booth greeted him, his eyes automatically searching for the large cat. To his relief, it was still there, sitting on the shelf with a handmade cardboard sign that read '10 000 tickets' hanging from around its neck. "Listen, man, can I buy that cat?"

The guy didn't even turn to look at where Booth was pointing. He merely sat there on his stool, chewing gum and flipping through his magazine. "Sorry, you can only redeem your tickets here," he told Booth in a monotone voice.

Booth scowled at him. "Oh, come on…I'll pay you fifty bucks," he tried to bargain. "A hundred?"

The guy looked up, finally, to glare at Booth. "Can't do that, man," he shrugged. "I'll get in trouble or whatever."

Booth sighed, running a hand through his hair. _Looks like the only way I'm getting that cat is if I get ten thousand tickets_, he thought in defeat. "Fine," he shook his head. "Listen, I'll get the tickets…Just…Hold that cat for me, will ya?"

At the boy's reluctant expression, Booth rolled his eyes. "I'll pay you to hold it for me," he tried.

This time, the boy's lips curled into a sly smile. _Figures_.

* * *

><p>Temperance sighed as she walked down the sidewalk, heading towards Pops' house. By some irrational instinct, her entire body tensed up as she passed by the Saroyans' household. When nothing happened - which was, of course, the case - she relaxed and made her way the last few steps to the house she currently lived in.<p>

She passed Jared in the driveway. He was wearing shorts and a jersey, a basketball in hand. _Hmm, family thing?_ Temperance mused.

"Hey, Tempe," Jared greeted her with a large smile, halting when he saw her approach.

She returned his friendly smile - it was nice that all three of the Booths liked her, but even after knowing them for four, almost five months, she was always taken aback whenever one of them presented her with a friendly gesture. The shock was waning when it came to Booth, simply because they spent so much time together. Not as of late, but still…It made her happy to know she had the entire family's approval, since she didn't wish to be a burden to even one member of the household.

"Hey, Jared," she returned his greeting. "You're going out with your friends?"

He nodded. "Yeah…Pops went out with Mrs. Bink…" he shuddered slightly, a scowl on his lips, making Temperance laugh. "And only Seeley's at home. I got bored."

Jared eyed her suddenly with new interest. "If you're staying home, though…" he trailed off suggestively.

She laughed, shaking her head. "I'll just be studying," she assured him. "I won't be much fun. You go on out with your buddies."

He sighed, disappointed. "Okay, sure," he said, trying not to be so obvious in his tone. "See ya later, Tempe."

She waved as he passed and made the rest of the way to the porch.

She could hear the water running in the common bathroom she shared with Booth and Jared as she passed the closed door on her way to her bedroom. Knowing it had to be Booth, since the living room and the kitchen was empty, and so was his room when she'd passed by it, she simply walked on ahead and entered her room.

Temperance halted in the doorway of her room, frozen in place as she stared at her bed.

There, lying in the middle of her neatly made bed, was a large thirty-inches long stuffed toy in the shape of a mountain lion.

She remembered exactly where she had first seen it - at the fair she had gone to with Booth. The one that had required ten thousand tickets to redeem.

She dropped her book bag onto the floor by the door, making her way slowly towards the bed. Her hands reached out to grasp the soft fur of the large cat, lifting it up and hugging it softly to her body. An involuntary smile flitted across her lips as she bent her head and buried her nose in the cat's fur, the typical smell of synthetic fur commonly associated with soft toys reaching her senses.

She sank down on the edge of her bed, still holding the cat, her fingers stroking down its long back.

She knew that only Booth could've gotten her the large stuffed animal since he was the only one who knew about the incident at the fair. She didn't know why he had gotten it for her, though.

Was it some sort of apology? If it was, what was the reason behind his apology? Was he saying 'I'm sorry I kissed you'? Or was he saying 'I'm sorry I kissed you and didn't say anything after that'? Or was he saying 'I'm sorry I kissed you and it was horrible because you're a kissing virgin and had no idea how to kiss'?

Maybe it wasn't even an apology. Maybe it was a bribe of some sort - a soft toy with some small amount of sentimental value, for, what, her affection? For the return of their friendship to the way it was before? Or maybe he was asking her to forget the kiss had ever happened?

_Well, if he thinks that everything will be erased by one soft toy, he's got another thing coming_, Temperance thought, her cheeks flushing as a sudden bout of irrational anger swept through her.

Placing the puma, which she had named 'Joe' in her mind, on the bed, she shot up to her feet and stormed out of her room. Booth's room was still empty, and she could hear him in the bathroom still, singing 'Highway to Hell' at the top of his lungs.

Rolling her eyes, Temperance didn't even think twice as she barged into the bathroom.

Booth, as it turned out, was soaking in the tub, a ridiculous beer helmet with a can of coke hooked on either side, tubes in his mouth, and a comic book in his hands.

He jumped when she entered, spitting the plastic tubes out of his mouth. "What the hell, Bones!" he yelped. "You can't just barge into the bathroom when I'm in here taking a bath!"

"Are you trying to bribe me?" she demanded, hands on her hips as she glared at him.

Booth frowned at her. "What are you _talking_ about! And, dammit, Bones, I'm taking a manly bath here!"

She raised an eyebrow at that. "Yeah, I don't know what that means," she deadpanned. "But I can assure you that I'm not seeing anything."

"Hey!"

"I'm not referring to your lack of genitalia," Booth cringed at her words. "I'm just saying that the bubbles are covering your-"

"Okay, you know what?" he said, shaking his head as he cut her off. "We're not having this conversation."

Her face pulled into a confused frown. "Yes, we are," she pointed out realistically.

"And you need to leave," he added, ignoring her. "Because you standing there, while I'm sitting here, naked and all, is…It's just weird, Bones."

She scowled. "You're trying to distract me," she accused.

Booth gave her an incredulous look. "No, I'm trying to get you out of the freakin' bathroom!" he retorted.

Convinced that he was trying to get her off track, she ignored his words and continued with the reason why she had burst in on his bath. "You kissed me, and then…We were just not talking anymore, and then you bought a giant cat and you think that's going to fix everything!"

"Okay, I didn't _buy_ the cat…Well, I bought the carnival coin thingies for the games and got the tickets, so technically I _did_-"

Temperance cut him off, not having to appear to hear him at all as she paced the length of the bathroom, walking next to the bathtub. "And now, what, you want me to do, what exactly? You know, it was your fault this whole thing happened!"

For a moment, he'd forgotten where he was and that he was wearing not a stitch of clothing. He stood up, incensed at her words. "_My fault_!" he repeated angrily.

"Yes!"

"You kissed me back!"

"You kissed me first!" Temperance retorted. "And…You're naked."

She was blushing madly, and as he looked down and noticed that he was, in fact, naked, he blushed too.

"Do you want a towel or something?" she offered him politely.

"No," he snapped, sinking back down into the tub.

"You should know that the bubbles are disappearing."

Booth slapped a hand to his forehead and dragged his palm down his face. "Could you just…Wait outside?" he asked, his tone almost desperate as he covered himself using his open comic book.

Temperance eyed him warily as though she expected him to pull a Houdini and disappear into thin air in the bathroom. Finally, she nodded. "Fine," she answered curtly. "But don't take too long primping yourself."

He scowled at her as she left, slamming the door behind her. "I don't 'primp'!" he yelled after her.

Ten minutes later, he was out of the bathroom, mostly dried and dressed.

He took a deep breath as he hovered outside Temperance's bedroom, just out of sight. _Okay. I go in, and she either kills me or castrates me…_His hesitation annoyed him to no end. _Be a man, Seel_, he chided himself, taking in another deep breath and exhaling slowly as he stepped towards her open door and knocked on the wood.

Temperance, he noticed, was at her desk, standing over it as she moved some of her things and rearranged books, her obviously empty book bag slumped next to the desk on the floor. His gaze drifted over to the bed. The large stuffed toy, which he'd placed at the center of her bed, had been moved. It now rested at the head of her bed, tucked right in between her pillow and her smaller, decorative throw pillows.

He hid a smile as she turned around to face him, a less than impressed expression on her face and angry eyes set on him.

Booth sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. "Look, how about we go to Cecil's and grab some take-out?" he suggested, before she'd even had a chance to speak. "I want to take you somewhere."

Temperance eyed him for a moment, her lips pursed as she considered his offer. After a few long, silent moments, she nodded, relenting. "Fine," she agreed. "But I've been to five karate classes now and I know how to take you down now."

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind," he commented wryly. "Now come on."

They grabbed a couple of burgers and fries - and a salad for Temperance - at the diner before Booth drove them in the direction of the park.

They'd been to the park several times before but Booth had never brought her out to the lake where he'd inadvertently 'discovered' while on a hike once. He was sure he wasn't the only one who'd been to the lake, of course, but it was such a secluded part of the park that each and every time he'd been there, no one else had been around.

The lake was a place Booth frequented whenever he needed time to think to himself. He had found it fairly early in his move to Chicago, so during the first few months, whenever he needed to just get away from the reality of how drastically his life had changed, he would take a little time-out and just sit by the lake.

It was a peaceful, beautiful little hideaway that he had never shared with anyone. Not Jared, who probably went through some of the same things he did in regards to the sudden changes made in their home life. Not Pops, who wanted to be let in more into Booth's mind. Not any of the girls he'd dated since arriving in Chicago over three years ago.

"We're going to go on foot," Booth told Temperance as they stepped out of his car. He had parked in the lot next to the grassy ground of the park. "I want to show you something."

Temperance frowned at him. "We're not just going to sit at our usual spot here?" she asked, referring to a shaded area they often sat at whenever they came to the park.

He shook his head. "I think you'll love this," he mused genuinely.

It was a trek that took them well over twenty minutes. "Booth, our food's getting cold," Temperance informed him. "Are we almost there yet?"

He chuckled at her impatience - she had tried everything but actually strangle the location of his 'surprise' out of him. Apparently, she wasn't a fan of surprises. He had refused to give in, however, mostly because it was fun ticking her off.

"We're here," he announced, leading her through the last patch of trees before it cleared slightly to allow a small woodland path to the lake a few feet away.

Temperance gaped at the view, her breath caught in her throat. "Wow, Booth…" she whispered, in awe of the beauty of the lake. "This is so beautiful."

He nodded, agreeing with her silently, as he led her towards the small rock formation he usually sat at, his hand pressed gently against her lower back. The rock formation was barely a few feet above the water, so the two of them sat at the rounded edge of the formation, their legs swinging over the small cliff, and their food placed behind them.

"So why did you bring me here?" Temperance asked, kicking her legs back and forth and enjoying the nice breeze. "Is this where you bring all the girls you've kissed?"

He shot her a glare. "No."

She raised an eyebrow. "This is where you bring all the girls you've kissed and then couldn't bring to say anything to afterwards?" she guessed again, her tone sarcastic.

Booth sighed, staying silent for a few seconds as he took a bite out of his burger and gazed out at the green of the trees on the other side of the lake. "I stumbled onto this place a couple of months after my move to Chicago," he admitted to Temperance.

Sensing that this was a serious talk, Temperance kept quiet, her gaze trained on him even if he was determined not to meet her eyes, facing the front as his mind brought him back to darker days.

"You know that my old man left when I was thirteen," he stated, not asked, remembering with perfect clarity what he had told her a few months back.

She nodded anyway. "Yeah," she murmured quietly. "You said he just up and left, and Pops took you in."

Booth let out a derisive snort, "If only it were that simple." He sighed, turning his body around slightly to place his half-eaten burger on the paper bag on the ground, his appetite suddenly gone. "Pops…See, Pops never knew about dad. About his drinking and the abuse. Pops lived in Chicago my whole life, and the only time my dad was sober was during the rare occasion that Pops came to visit."

"The moment Pops left, there would be a bottle of alcohol in his hands," Booth lifted his hand and raked his fingers through his hair roughly. "Pops never saw anything - except that one time. It was near Jared's ninth birthday, his first one after mom's death, and Pops wanted to come by, surprise him…He walked in right during one of dad's, uh…Episodes."

Booth cringed visibly, his entire body tensed, as he tried to word it discretely. Temperance watched him, sadness and intrigue and sympathy all rolled up in one. "I'm not really…I don't really know what happened," he shook his head, as though clearing his mind of the memories. "I woke up in the hospital two days later. Jared was fine - just a bruised cheek and a split lip - but I got hit pretty badly. Pops told me that dad had packed up his things and left, said something about not being able to deal with things anymore. Jared and I were in Chicago a week later."

Temperance wasn't sure what she was supposed to do or say. She wasn't good at giving comforting words or even saying the right things. Deciding to follow her instinct, she reached out, her hand resting atop Booth's.

She knew she had done the right thing when Booth flipped his hand, entwining their fingers together.

They sat there in silence for a long while, both of them staring out over the lake.

Finally, Booth took a deep breath and continued. "You know, I didn't think anything else could happen that would change me," he announced vaguely, turning her hand over in his and using his other hand to trace patterns on her palm. "I thought that since my dad started drinking when I was five, that I'd been hardened. That nothing else could make such a huge impact on my life that I would be changed forever."

"But something did," she guessed.

He nodded. "When my dad left, it was supposed to be a happy thing…But it wasn't. I didn't know why. Even today, I don't know why it wasn't a happy thing for me," he turned his gaze away from the trees, sick of the green, and his eyes landed on the blue water instead. Reveling in the serenity, he reminisced on the time when his life was just the opposite. "I grew…Angry. At everyone and everything, including Pops and Jared, including me and definitely including my old man."

"At some point…I fell into depression."

Temperance's eyes grew wide at the revelation. Even though she knew that Booth wasn't exactly a happy go lucky sort of fellow, she had never figured him to be a depressed kind, either. He had a short fuse - that much had been obvious to her several times. She supposed it was irrational to think that his anger resulting from his abusive childhood would've completely faded away, even after three years had passed, but it had never once occurred to her that he had ever been depressed over anything.

Booth knew he had to be shocking her with all of this. He himself didn't have any idea why he was telling her all of this. Sure, he trusted her the most, next to Pops, but he hadn't set out to tell her about his awful past. She knew enough about his childhood, more than anyone else had ever known, and he had never intended to tell her more. It was something he had never intended to rehash.

But she had been sitting there, and they were at the only place in the world he had ever felt calm in, and the words had just come stumbling out.

He wanted to tell her now; he wanted to tell her the rest. It was painful, and shameful, and something he wasn't proud of, but he wanted her to know. He couldn't answer 'why' even to himself. Maybe he wasn't ready to, maybe he just hadn't worked it out yet, but he felt like he needed her to know.

Not wanting to see her reaction when he told her the next part of his past, Booth continued to stare intently at the water of the lake. The only outward show of his turmoil was the way his hand gripped hers as tightly as possible, almost enough to hurt.

"I was just so angry, so upset…It was…Overwhelming to me," he admitted. "I guess I never dealt with all of that emotion when dad was around. Then he left, and everything was different. Jared was happy - he should be - that we moved here with Pops. I guess I was, too, but all the emotion I'd bottled up for years just came spilling out and I was…I was drowning in it. I couldn't reach dry land."

"So, one day," he squeezed his eyes shut, a shudder that even she could feel going through his entire body. "One day, a couple of weeks after we moved here, I stayed home from school. I took a bottle of vodka I found in Pops' cabinet, and his sleeping pills, and I hid out in my room."

Temperance gasped, her own hand gripping his with equal fervor now. "Booth…" she whispered, unable to keep the horror from her voice.

"I was gonna kill myself, Bones," his voice cracked and wavered as he spoke. "But I was sitting there, and the pills were spread out on my bed, and I couldn't do it. So I popped open the bottle of vodka and I thought - hey, maybe some liquid courage could help. But I drank, and I drank, and I still couldn't do it."

A strange sort of pressure released in Temperance's chest, making it seemingly easier to breathe somehow.

"The school called Pops when I didn't show, and he came home early - found me in my room, drunk and crying and red-faced, pills still out on the bed," he exhaled loudly as the memory of that day came back to the forefront of his mind, as clear as day.

Temperance bit the corner of her bottom lip, chewing on it slightly as she watched him with concerned eyes. "I'll bet he freaked out over it," she prompted gently when Booth fell quiet.

He chuckled softly, humorlessly. "Yeah, he did," he confirmed. "But he…Pops, you know, he's intuitive. He just knows things. And he knew exactly what to say to save me."

This time, he did turn his eyes to face her. Temperance swallowed with some difficulty, a lump forming in her throat as she saw the dark storm in his eyes. "He saved me, Bones," he repeated, his voice rough and hushed. "But you don't just get out of such a dark place. Not overnight. It took time."

He gestured towards the lake, a small, sad smile forming on his lips. "I found this place a few months later," he revealed, a sigh escaping his lips. "And even though Pops was always there for me, this place…It gave me the space I needed to just…Get away from all the bad stuff going on in my life. I kept coming back here every time things got rough, or if I needed some time to myself. It became my personal sanctuary."

Temperance started at his words. His personal sanctuary, she repeated in her mind, confusion and awe lacing the words. She was bewildered as to the reason why he brought her to the one place he thought gave him the space he needed, and awed because he had brought her there, shown her something that obviously meant a lot to him.

"If this is your personal sanctuary," she started, blue eyes wide. "Then why…?"

His sad smile lifted into one that was slightly more cheerful, slightly less pained. "Because you're you," he answered simply. And even though he knew she didn't understand that, he continued on, "You're Bones, and that means something special to me. You mean something special to me."

The tip of Temperance's ears turned red, but she refused to duck her head in embarrassment as her cheeks flooded with warmth. "I don't understand," she said, blinking innocently naïve eyes at him.

Booth shrugged. "You asked me earlier, why I brought you here…I guess what I'm trying to say is that this place…It helped me during a really hard time in my life, and it's the only place in the world I feel like I could be myself," he smiled at her, his gaze softening as he caught sight of those vivid blue eyes. "I guess I just wanted you to see me."

Temperance wasn't sure she understood everything he was saying, but she got the gist of it. While her hand was still gripped in his, her other hand went to his arm, squeezing lightly. "I made a crass comment earlier about your intentions in bringing me here," she said regretfully. "I'm sorry about that, Booth…I didn't know."

Booth shook his head, waving her apology away. "I know you didn't, Bones," he assured her without actually saying the words, that she was forgiven, that he wasn't angry at her. "You're not a mind reader."

Her brows furrowed, a tiny little wiggle appearing between her eyes that he knew only emerged whenever she was confused over a comment he'd made and was about to say something logical about it.

Like the perfect cue, Temperance blurted out, "Of course I'm not. It's scientifically impossible-"

Booth, smiling fondly at her, had leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. The hand that wasn't clasped with hers slid to her cheek, fingers tangling in her soft tresses. Temperance froze for a few seconds, the shock at their second - _third_, some small, still coherent part of her mind corrected - kiss rendering her mind temporarily blank. When she regained her ability to move, her mouth slowly, tentatively moved together with his, responding to his touch. Tiny little shivers ran up and down her spine as his fingers continued to caress her hair.

She broke away first from their sweet kiss, hazy eyes looking at him accusingly. "Is that your way of shutting me up now?"

"Yep," he answered playfully, leaning in to kiss her fully. When she leaned away, a small little unhappy pout adorably formed on her lips, he rolled his eyes. "Will you just let me kiss you?"

Instead of waiting for a reply, Booth brought both his hands up to cup her face, bringing them closer until their lips touched once more. _I will never get used to this_, he thought happily. He smiled against her lips when he felt her hands slide up his chest, her arms wrapping around his neck, drawing him closer to her, as close as they could get sitting next to each other.

Unfortunately, they were at an awkward angle - it wasn't like they could shift their bodies and angle themselves towards each other since they were sitting at the edge of a cliff - and their attempt at moving closer had only resulted in the two of them tipping precariously over the edge of the rock formation.

Neither realized it until it was too late, the both of them falling over the short, small cliff. Temperance let out a yelp as they both plunged into the lake.

Booth surfaced, wiping water from his eyes. Relief washed over him when he noticed Temperance doing the same, smoothing back her wet hair from her face. He started laughing, the humor of their situation getting to him.

"Booth!" Temperance tried to chide, even though she, too, was wearing a large goofy smile, chuckling along with him. "It's not funny!"

He threw his head back, a loud guffaw escaping his lips. "Yeah, it is," he argued playfully, floating over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist underwater.

Despite the cool water of the lake seeping in through her clothes, there was a certain warmth that spread through Temperance's body as she gazed into his smiling eyes. Her hands automatically went up to his broad shoulders, fingers gripping at his shoulder blades.

His lips brush across hers softly, briefly. "You know, I didn't bring you here to tell you about my past," he murmured quietly, his eyes flickering back and forth between her beautiful eyes and her swollen lips.

"No?"

"No," he pressed another quick, soft kiss against her lips. "I brought you here…To tell you that I…I feel very strongly about you."

Sensing that this was a more serious conversation that she had thought it would be, she pulled back slightly so she was able to look him in the eyes properly.

"You do?" she prayed her whispered question didn't convey just how terrified she was of his answer.

He nodded, his coy behavior having disappeared, turning into something much more somber. "I do," he confirmed, one arm untangling around her waist, reaching up to brush his fingers gently across her cheek. "What I feel for you…Is very…It's important."

"Important?" her eyebrows furrowed together.

Booth grinned slightly. "I don't really know how to put it into words yet," he admitted, almost abashedly. "All I know is that the relationship we already share before this is something I would never screw up. _You_ mean something _very_ important to me - and I wouldn't go down this path with you if I didn't think it's worth the risk."

Temperance's eyelids flickered, surprise etched on her face at his words. "You think I'm…That, uh, that this…This is worth it?" she stammered.

He smiled softly at her, hand cupping her chin and tilting her head back gently so he could brush his lips over hers - once, twice. "I think you're worth it," he murmured into her open mouth.

Temperance pulled away from him completely, hands falling away from his shoulders and pushing away from his body. "This is…It's too much, Booth," she said, breaking away from his embrace. Her words came out in little gasps, the past half an hour catching up to her, overwhelming her. "I don't think I can do this."

"No, don't," he pleaded, floating over to where she had drifted away from him, arms encircling her body once. When she placed her hands on his chest, trying to push him away again, he tightened his hold on her waist, one hand reaching up, fingers sinking in her wet hair.

"Don't," he repeated, brown eyes unleashing their full force on her. "You and me…We've always been able to talk, Bones. We've gotten to a point where we're…Partners."

His eyes searched hers, reassuring her and trying to find reassurance himself all at the same time.

Temperance bit her lip, her gaze locked on his for the longest moment. Finally, she nodded. "Equals," she agreed.

Booth allowed a small smile to steal across his lips. "Yeah, equals," he murmured. "Don't shut me out now."

She sighed, looking away from him and gazing at the serene blue of the water. "I've never had this," she said at last.

"What?"

"A relationship," she clarified. "Not with…Not like this. Not like you've had."

Booth shook his head. "None of my past relationships have ever felt like this," he argued. "What I feel for you…It's something I've never felt for any other girl, Bones. You're not the only one who's overwhelmed."

She seemed to take comfort in that fact. "Is this a good thing?" she asked in a hushed tone, worry creeping into her expression.

"I think it is," he answered her. "It's pretty damn scary, but I think it's a good thing."

"What if it isn't?"

He shrugged. "I think you're worth the risk," he repeated. His gaze held her captive as he asked, voice low, "Do you think I am?"

Instead of answering him verbally, Temperance merely smiled. Pressing her body closer to his, she leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She tilted her face towards his, a smile slowly forming on his own lips as he realized her answer.

He wasn't sure who kissed who first this time around. All he knew was that this kiss was somehow the most meaningful, even more so that their first one, because it signified the start of their relationship as something more than just friends.

He wrapped his arms more solidly around her body, laughter bubbling from their throats even as they continued to kiss, a giddy sort of happiness enveloping them both.

"What does this mean?" Temperance asked as they pulled away reluctantly.

Booth, placing distracting little kisses all over her face, hummed in pseudo-reply.

Temperance rolled her eyes, smacking his arm with her hand. "Booth!" she complained. "What does this mean?"

"It means, babe," he sighed happily. "That we're going to give this a shot."

"Don't call me 'babe'," she warned him sternly. Her smile drooped slightly, "You know… Technically, we're foster siblings."

Booth pulled a face at that. "Okay, not blood related, Bones," he said, grossed out. _Way to kill the mood, Bones_, he grumbled silently.

She exhaled, exasperated. "I know that," she glared. "But I'm not sure they'll allow me to stay with you and Pops if they know we're linked together romantically."

"Oh," he said flatly, his smile slipping off his face. _I can't let that happen…Bones belong with us. She's happy with us, and I can't let her go to some other foster family, especially not when everything's working out so well_…He pursed his lips, thinking. "Well…We could just…Not tell anyone?" he suggested tentatively.

Temperance's eyebrows shot up. "You want to lie!" she asked, sounding aghast by the suggestion.

"No, not lie, per se," he hastily corrected her. "More like a…Um, an omission of the truth."

She frowned at him, and he could see that she wasn't very happy with that at all.

"Look, Bones," he sighed, leaning his head down to press his forehead against hers, making her smile slightly. "There's nothing I'd like more than to be able to be open about us. But that can't happen right now, so I'm okay with doing whatever it takes to protect us."

She considered that, nodding slowly as she registered his words. "That actually makes sense," she admitted. "A little," she added, noticing the beginnings of a smug expression forming on his face.

Booth chuckled, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "We're doing this," it wasn't a question, but just a statement.

"We're doing this," she repeated, awe and disbelief coloring her words, shining in her eyes, matching his own perfectly.

Identical beaming grins spread across their faces, lips converging yet again for another kiss, warm laughter permeating the air in the perfect atmosphere of young love.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading.<p>

Juliet.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>April 29, 1991<em>.

Temperance Brennan was a nervous wreck.

It was the day after she and Booth had decided to attempt a tentative, romantic relationship. A tentative, romantic, _surreptitious_ relationship.

Now it was Monday morning, and they were set to face Pops, Jared and the entire school, pretending like nothing had changed.

This was exactly the reason why she was sneaking into her boyfriend's room at four thirty in the morning.

Closing the door behind her, she was careful to tip-toe carefully into the room, not making any noise. Booth, she noted with a fond smile, was laying on his stomach, his arms spread eagle wide as though he was trying to take up the entire space, and snoring away into his pillow.

Like she had done the first morning she had ever woken up in the Booth household, and a few times after whenever she had a nightmare involving one of her more abusive foster parents, Temperance crouched down next to Booth's bed.

"Booth," she whispered, placing a hand on his arm and shaking him slightly. He snorted once, and burrowed his head deeper into the pillow, but he didn't wake. She rolled her eyes. "Booth, wake up!"

Snort. Snore.

"Don't make me poke you…"

Snort.

"I'm up!" Booth mumbled, lifting his head and blinking at her blearily. "Bones…Why… What…Ugh," he trailed off incoherently. Sneaking a look at his alarm clock, he groaned and dropped his head back on the pillow. "You've gotta stop waking me up too early, babe."

Despite the fact that him calling her 'babe' gave her a weird sort of warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest, spreading throughout her whole body - something that she would _never_ admit to anyone out loud - Temperance scowled at him.

"Don't call me 'babe'."

Booth was awake enough to give her a leery grin. "Aw, come on…You got used to 'Bones', you'll get used to 'babe'."

"I _didn't_ get used to 'Bones'," she retorted, glaring at him. "You just wouldn't stop calling me that."

Booth chuckled, rolling to his side and propping his head up by his elbow. "You know you'd miss it if I stop calling you 'Bones'," he teased, reaching out with his other hand to smooth back her hair from her face.

Temperance chose to ignore that, knowing that she _would_ miss it if Booth were to stop using the silly moniker he'd given her just a few weeks into their tentative friendship months ago. She had gotten so familiar with the name that she would be worried if he'd stop out of nowhere.

"I'm worried," she admitted quietly.

Booth's smile slipped from his lips. "About what, baby?" he asked, scooting up until he was sitting up against the headboard of his bed.

Temperance shrugged, "About keeping it a secret…I don't know if I can."

Booth reached out, grasping Temperance's hand and tugging gently. "C'mere, baby," he urged, leading her to a standing position and pulling lightly until she was sitting on his bed. "You've got nothing to be worried about."

Temperance gave him a glare. "Yes, I do," she insisted. "You know I'm a terrible liar, Booth. What if I…What if I can't do it? What if I mess it up or I slip up and I say something and it gets out…I mean, I'm pretty sure I can't stay in the same house as my boyfriend, Booth."

"Hey, hey, shh," he murmured, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her close so that she was sitting up against the headboard next to him. He had to smile when Temperance snuggled to his side, her arms wrapped around his waist and her head resting against his throat. "We're gonna be just fine, Bones."

She looked up at him through accusing eyes. "You don't know that," she pointed out. "Logically…You can't promise me that."

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Screw logic," he joked. "We've got _us_ on our side. We can't lose."

Temperance stared at him confusedly. "I…Don't think that makes any sense, Booth," she told him, blinking rapidly a few times.

Booth laughed, leaning in to brush a kiss against her cheek. "It makes sense," he assured her. "It means that it doesn't matter if the odds are against us, Bones. We're Booth and Bones. We're the center of our world, of everything we're going to make it out to be. We'll stay strong. We're the center."

Even though his words were sort of convoluted, Temperance could understand what he was trying to say. "And the center must hold," she said, realization coloring her voice with an almost surprised nuance. "We have to hold."

Booth nodded, a pleased smile flitting across his face, happy that she had understood his meaning. "We'll hold," he repeated, a reassurance for the both of them.

Temperance nodded, sighing. "I should get back to my room," she said after a few moments of just being wrapped up in his warm embrace. "It's not even five in the morning…You should get some sleep."

Booth, already drifting in and out of sleep again, moaned his disapproval, his arms tightening their hold on her. "No," he groaned, sliding further down his bed and taking her with him so that they were laying down facing each other, side by side. "Stay here."

Temperance laughed, swatting at his shoulder half-heartedly. "I can't stay here, Booth," she rolled her eyes, unable to hide her large, happy smile. "What if Pops or Jared walks in? We're supposed to be discreet."

Booth, eyes closed, simply drew her closer so that their bodies were practically pressed together. "They won't come in here," he mumbled sleepily, dropping his head to burrow his nose into her soft hair. "Stay here."

She had every intention of pushing his arms away, telling him that it just wasn't smart for her to stay in his bed and going back to her room, but he was already snoring away.

Temperance smiled, brushing her fingers across his defined cheekbones. As she watched him sleep, it occurred to her just how…Different he looked like compared to when he was awake. He was more peaceful somehow. It made her heart race watching him all sweet and calm and happily oblivious to the world.

She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Sweet dreams, Booth," she whispered almost inaudibly, quietly slipping out of his arms and out of his room.

Temperance was sure she wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep. She took a quick shower, changed into clothes for school, sat on her bed and got started on Madame Bovary.

"Bones?"

She looked up, her brows furrowing together when she noticed Booth standing at her doorway. He wasn't wearing sweatpants and a wife beater - his general preference for clothes to wear before heading to bed - but was in his jeans and leather jacket.

"Booth, what are you doing up?" she asked, confused, as she placed her bookmark in place and closed the book.

Booth looked decidedly amused as he stepped into the room. "Bones, it's seven oh five," he informed her, making her eyes go round in shock as she swung her head around to look at the clock on her wall. She gasped as she noticed that he was right - she had been so engrossed in her reading that she hadn't even noticed the time.

She quickly scrambled off the bed, taking her book with her to place on her desk. "I didn't realize," she muttered, bustling about the room as she put away her book and grabbed the necessary things to finish getting ready for school.

Booth watched her for a moment, dark eyes following her movements as she went about the room. He knew he didn't have to be careful, at least not too much at the moment, but that would all change the moment they stepped out of her room and went down to face the rest of their world, starting with his grandfather and his nosy brat of a brother.

Despite the reassurances he'd given to Temperance in the wee hours of the morning - that was, if that hadn't been a bizarre dream, since he'd been too sleepy to really make sure - he himself was nervous about their relationship.

It wasn't just the secrecy he was worried about, although he was scared that something might happen and he would be forcefully separated from Temperance. He didn't want to be apart from her, and he didn't want her to be forced to live somewhere else. Not when he knew, without a doubt, that living with Pops was the best thing for her. He couldn't trust her in the hands of someone else, in the hands of a stranger.

One of the main things he was worried about was screwing things up with her. She had become something much more than just his biology partner. She was now his best friend, his confidant. She was the best thing to have happened to him since his grandfather had saved him. He understood that it was a big risk being in a romantic relationship with her because everything was so much more important. He couldn't afford to screw things up because that would mean that he would screw up their friendship, as well.

Losing her forever, having her estranged from his life, wasn't something he could ever stand for.

Stepping towards her, where she was standing in front of the vanity, brushing her hair out, he wrapped his arms around her middle from behind.

Temperance blinked a few times, jolted out of her own thoughts about the coming day, when she felt Booth's arms around her. She smiled at him through the mirror, leaning back into him and sighing contentedly at the feel of his warm body enveloping hers.

"I'm scared, too," Booth admitted in a soft murmur, bending slightly to place his chin on her shoulder.

Temperance froze, placing the hairbrush she'd been using on her vanity table and pressing her hands on the arms wrapped around her waist. "You are?" she whispered. At his nod, she seemed to be more nervous than before. "If we're both nervous…How is it going to work?"

Booth turned his head to press a kiss to the side of her head, his lips brushing over soft hair. "Hey," he interrupted her panicked thoughts. "Just because we're afraid doesn't mean we should stop living out our lives. It doesn't mean we should stop going for what we want."

He spun her around, hands spanning over her petite waist. "And I want you," he told her softly, chocolate eyes boring into sparkling blue, their foreheads pressed together.

Temperance smiled, reaching her arms up to slide her fingers through his carefully spiked hair. "I want you, too," she admitted softly, leaning up to brush a kiss on his lips. "I just want everything to be okay."

He brushed his thumb gently across her bottom lip. "You know the thing that sucks the most about keeping this a secret?"

"No. What?"

Booth sighed, tangling his fingers in her silky hair. "We can't do this for the whole day," he gripped her by the hair gently, tilting her head up to kiss her soft lips. "I'm gonna miss kissing you."

Temperance rolled her eyes even though she couldn't stop smiling goofily up at him. "You are such a dork, Seeley Booth," she teased. "It's just going to be a few hours…After school, we can kiss all we want."

A large cocky grin spread across his lips. "Hmm…I like the sound of that," he murmured, chuckling as her lean arms wrapped around his waist, her nose nuzzling his throat lovingly.

A sudden thought crossed his mind, and he pulled back from her embrace slightly, just enough to look into her beautiful eyes. "Hey, I have an idea," he said, a smile in his voice.

Temperance hummed to signify that she was listening.

"You know, I don't know how long we have to pretend we're not together in front of the others…" he started.

Temperance interrupted, "Probably until high school is over and I'm emancipated from the state, if we end up together that long."

He nodded fervently. "Oh, yeah, we're gonna last much longer than that," he said, firmly believing in his words. "My point is…It's gonna be a long time before we could be together and not hide it. All I know is that I'm always going to want to kiss you out there, but I can't, so…Let's start a new tradition."

Temperance gave him a look. "What is it with you and traditions?" she asked, even as she eyed him curiously.

He chuckled. "Well, I'm just saying…And it's a good tradition, too…But if you don't want to hear it…"

"No, I want to," she was quick to assure him.

Booth grinned. "Since we have to pretend like we're not together for most of the day…Why don't we, every morning before school, we stand right here, and we give each other a proper kiss," he suggested.

"A proper kiss?"

"Mm-hmm," he hummed in agreement. "Sort of like this."

Cupping her lovely face in his palms, Booth brought his mouth to hers, capturing her lips in a sweet, tender kiss.

"Mmm…I think I like this new tradition of yours," Temperance whispered, looking up at him through glassy eyes.

Booth chuckled, his large hand brushing through her hair a few times as he gazed down at her. "I don't know if I ever told you this, Bones…But I adore you," he murmured softly, watching in fascination as her creamy porcelain cheeks slowly flushed a beautiful rosy pink color.

Temperance sighed, humming in the back of her throat, as she reached her arms up to lock around Booth's neck. "Charmer," she teased, her voice low and coy, as she stood up on her tip-toes, her head tilted as she reached up to press her lips against his.

Their lips melded together, her mouth parting to swallow his warm chuckle. This was a different sort of kiss - slow and filled with sweet desperation. Hands wandered, spanning over smooth, clothed skin, fingers tangled in soft hair, bodies pressed as close as they could get.

Temperance pulled away first, her lips slowing as she gathered enough strength to break apart. "We have to stop or Pops is probably going to come up and find us," she pointed out rationally, her voice barely above a whisper. "We're almost late as it is."

He groaned, dropping his head on her shoulder and breathing in her scent. The sweet scent of her did nothing to calm him down, but he was hard pressed to let go of her. She seemed to understand, her own small, feminine hands smoothing down his back repeatedly in an endless loop.

Finally, Booth turned his head, pressed a gentle kiss to her pulse point and unwrapped his arms from around her with a final squeeze of her petite frame.

He grasped her chin gently with his fingers and brought her mouth to his for a painfully brief, hard kiss. "Come on, let's get some breakfast - I'm starved," he said, taking her by the hand to lead her out of the room.

Temperance chuckled at his words, teasingly replying with, "Are you ever _not_ hungry?"

Pops and Jared were already at the table when they went downstairs. Pops was reading the paper, squinting at the words even with his glasses on. Jared was barely awake, like most mornings, his head on the table, his eyes half closed, one hand lazily swirling his spoon in his bowl of soggy cereal.

Booth wrinkled his nose at his brother's less than appealing breakfast, choosing instead to grab some toast. Temperance poured a glass of juice for both Booth and herself. "Good morning, Pops," she greeted her new caretaker with a smile. "Good morning, Jared."

Jared groaned a wordless reply, not lifting his head from the table.

Pops rolled up one of the unread sections, lightly hitting Jared on the shoulder with it. "Would ya wake up already?" he groused at the boy, rolling his eyes. Turning his head, Pops offered Temperance a warm smile. "Morning, Tempe. You look nice."

Temperance blushed, picking at the sleeve of one of the shirts she'd bought with Amy and her sister all those weeks ago but had never worn because she hadn't thought she could pull it off. She'd wanted to wear something nice today, though, since it would be the first day, not counting their time at the lake yesterday, that they would officially be a couple, albeit in secret.

"Yeah, Bones," Booth added, trying not to smirk since he knew that she'd tried to look nice for him. He wasn't going to complain since she looked all pretty, but he _was_ a little smug about it. He ignored the little voice at the back of his mind reminding him of how he'd changed into six different shirts before settling on the one he was wearing now. "You look beautiful."

Temperance half-scowled when she noted the mischief dancing in his eyes – she knew he knew she'd 'sort of' dressed up for him – and half-smiled at his compliment. "Thanks," she muttered, biting back a smile of her own as her cheeks continued to burn.

Pops watched their interaction with narrowed eyes – the two of them had always had a less than conventional relationship: everything they said was as though they were subconsciously flirting, they were undeniably close and the moments they shared every so often felt too private sometimes for others to witness.

But this was different somehow.

There was something between them that had changed, and though he wasn't sure what it was or if it was anything to be concerned over, he was still suspicious.

Booth caught the look his grandfather was giving them as he sat down next to Temperance. Wiping the smile off his face, he handed two pieces of toast to her. "Here, eat up – we're going to be late," he told her, scarfing down his own breakfast. Shooting a look at his brother, Booth aimed a sharp kick to Jared's leg.

Jared jumped in his seat, sitting upright, and glared at Booth. "Pops! Seeley kicked me," he complained.

"Ah, what are you, two?" Booth rolled his eyes. "Wake up or I'm not driving you to your school."

Once they were done with breakfast, the three of them hurried out of the house, waving goodbye to Pops. Booth and Temperance were mostly silent while Booth drove to Jared's school – even if his brother was snoring away in the back, Booth wasn't going to risk him hearing anything he shouldn't – but the moment Jared was out of the car, Booth and Temperance held hands every time the car halted to a stop, sneaking quick kisses at every red light.

"Are you still nervous?" Temperance asked him as the school building loomed into sight.

"Yeah. You?"

"Yes."

They stayed silent for a long while, Booth driving into the school parking lot and finding a parking space. "It'll be fine," he said, trying to reassure both of them. "It'll be weird, but fine."

Temperance frowned. "Why would it be weird?"

Booth shrugged, "I've never had a secret girlfriend before…Don't really know how that's gonna go."

"Oh."

Seeing her down turned lips, Booth almost reached out a hand to cup her cheek. Almost. He had to remind himself that they were in school, and anyone could walk by and look into his car – it wasn't like he had tinted windows, and it wasn't like he was parking at a private spot. "Hey, I didn't mean it as a bad thing," he soothed. "It'll be okay, Bones."

He reached out and quickly, playfully, smoothed out the crease between her eyebrows. "Have I mentioned how pretty you look, Bones?" he asked her, chocolate brown eyes tracing over her feminine features, dusted with a faint coat of make-up to bring out her beauty even more than usual, before locking with wide, innocent blue ones.

"Yes," she answered truthfully. "At the breakfast table. Do you have short term memory loss, Booth? That was barely half an hour ago…"

Booth shook his head, an amused smile playing on the edges of his lips. Sighing, he frowned.

"What's wrong?" Temperance asked, reaching out to grasp his hand in hers – she was fairly certain no one would be able to see that unless they bent and peered into the car windows.

Booth shrugged. "I wish I can kiss you again," he replied despondently.

Temperance rolled her eyes, fighting her own smile. "Booth, you're being irrational," she informed him in a playfully scolding tone.

Booth squeezed her fingers gently before letting go. "C'mon," he urged on another sigh, glancing at the windshield. "We're gonna be late if we stay in here any longer."

* * *

><p>As Booth and Temperance were to figure out – it was a whole lot easier to hide things at school than it was at home.<p>

At home, they had Jared, an incredibly nose little brother with a completely pointless crush on Temperance, and they had Pops, a grandfather slash caregiver who had his eyes wide open even if Booth and Temperance didn't notice it. He was far too perceptive and both teenagers were constantly worried that they'd slipped up without realizing.

At school, however, things were much different. They had just a few classes together, and even then, Temperance was so focused on taking down notes and doing labs perfectly that they didn't have time to be all 'boyfriend-girlfriend-y', as Booth had put it. Lunch time was spent, just the two of them, in the back aisles of the library – that was a plus for Booth, once he'd managed to pry away the completely uninteresting book she was reading about bugs or something from her. After school, they each had their own extracurricular activities – Booth with basketball and Temperance with whatever 'geek club' she was in to help boost up her college transcript.

All they had to do at school to hide their relationship was keep their hands – and their lips – to themselves. They were normally so close anyway, with inside jokes that nobody else understood and with secret smiles everyone else didn't get to share, that nobody bat an eyelash anymore. They were so used to the abnormal friendship the basketball star and the geeky nobody shared by now.

Now, they returned home from school to an empty house – not an uncommon thing, considering Pops maintained that just because he was old didn't mean he couldn't have an active social life. Jared was probably off hanging out with friends, like he normally did.

Taking advantage of their alone time, Booth started a game of cat and mouse the moment the front door swung close. He finally chased Temperance, giggling and making little surprised squeals every time he came close to ensnaring her in the cage of his arms, all the way up to her bedroom.

His long legs caught up to her, ending the playful chase that would've finished before it started had it been real, his lean arms wrapping around her waist and tackling her to her soft bed, the two of them laughing at the childish game they were playing.

Rolling their bodies over so that he was hovering above her, face to face, they smiled at one another, their laughter ceasing and melting into tender smiles. Brennan reached up, her arms snaking around his neck as he kept his weight off of her as much as possible, arms on either side of her head.

"You know," she mused aloud. "You were right. Today wasn't all that bad."

He chuckled, nodding in agreement. "So whaddaya think, Bones? Do you think we can pull this off?" and despite the lighthearted tone of his voice, she could see that he meant the question from the serious look in his warm eyes.

She considered for a moment, her genius mind working a mile a minute as she thought of the precautions they'd need to take.

As she'd observed earlier in the day, it was easy to get around school pretending she and Booth weren't a couple. She wasn't such a fan of Cam, or any of the other girls who'd apparently gotten over Booth's 'betrayal' of Katie (oh, the dramatics of high schoolers), throwing themselves at Booth but her boyfriend was very gentlemanly when he turned them all down. If only to herself, Brennan had to admit that she received a sick sort of smug pride in witnessing such a thing. Booth was clearly alpha, clearly the most coveted male, and he wasn't for the taking for any of the other girls.

She wasn't too sure about lying to Pops, however. She owed him a lot, for saving her and taking her in. It wasn't something he had to do and she didn't know how she would ever be able to repay him. Lying to him wasn't something she wanted to do but she didn't know if Pops would help them with their secret relationship or tell her he couldn't be her foster parent anymore if he found out. After all, it seemed very unlikely that he would allow her to stay in the same house as Booth when they were teenagers, attracted to each other and openly admitting it, having entered a romantic relationship with each other.

Still, she knew that if it was necessary, she and Booth would do something even as ghastly as lying to Pops to protect their bourgeoning relationship. She would do everything else perfectly, to make up in silent apology for deceiving him, but Booth was far too important to her, some sort of happy, safe, warm presence that was anchoring her to the good things in life she had long ago forgotten existed.

"I think we can," she answered him truthfully, watching as his smile widened. "I'm a genius and you're…You. We can pull it off."

He raised an eyebrow. "Was that a compliment or an insult?" he asked, confused. "I never know with you."

Temperance chuckled, brushing her lips across his throat in gossamer kisses. This, of course, turned into the two of them rolling back and forth across the bed, laughing and stealing kisses every two seconds, before Booth, grinning, gently brushed the tip of his nose against hers in an Eskimo's kiss before lowering his head an inch and capturing her lips in a sweet kiss.

It was strange to her that they hadn't particularly been shy around each other. She knew Booth had had girlfriends before, but she'd never been in a relationship with a boy before him. This was still just the second day of their newfound romantic relationship, and already they were acting as though they'd been together for months, or years.

Everything seemed so familiar with Booth, as though they had been doing this forever. It was irrational and she knew it had to have been influenced by their raging emotions, but she liked that they were so comfortable with each other.

Booth's warm lips on her own, his tongue snaking out to brush against her bottom lip, jolted her out of her thoughts. Without her even realizing it, their hands had been wandering and their lips seared together in a hot and heavy kiss fuelled by teenage hormones.

Even so, they kept their kisses as tame as possible - her hands didn't slide underneath his shirt like she wanted to, his mouth stayed only on her lips and her neck, never straying further.

The slam of the front door made them jump and spring apart from one another, their hearts racing. Booth leaned against her dresser, closing his eyes and trying to control his breathing - and his attraction to her. Temperance, on the other hand, blushed as she kept her gaze on her bed spread, hair mussed and lips swollen red.

The sounds of footsteps climbing loudly up the stairs made them move quickly so that by the time Jared popped his head into the room, Temperance was standing above her desk, school bag in hand as she rummaged through it, and Booth was sprawled on the rug on the floor, flipping absentmindedly through one of her many books, not really reading anything.

"Hey, Tempe," Jared flashed her a smile, throwing Booth a half-curious, half-angry glare, wondering why his big brother was in her room. "What're you up to?"

"I'm going to go to the library," Temperance announced.

Booth frowned slightly – he'd been hoping to make-out with her while they had the chance. It wasn't like they could do any of that freely when Pops and Jared were in the house. It was too risky, unless they waited until everyone else was asleep. Of course, Jared was back at home now, but he was easy to get rid of if Booth wanted. "You are?"

Temperance nodded, placing her book bag carefully on her desk chair before picking up a stack of thick books Booth wouldn't dare to touch with a ten feet pole. "These are almost overdue," she said, barely able to move her arms under the weight of the heavy books. "I'm just going to return them."

Booth raised an eyebrow and shot her a knowing look. "You're _not_ just going to return the books," he scoffed. "You'll return them, then sit around the library for two hours, just reading stuff, then you'll spend the next thirty minutes picking out the most complex books you could find to borrow, _then_ you'll come home."

Temperance's cheeks flushed a deep red. "I will do no such thing!" she glared at him. When he continued to look at her amusedly, undeterred, she sighed, conceding. "Fine. But I won't be hours, Booth."

He rolled his eyes, scoffing again. "Please," he said sarcastically. "That's what you said the first time I followed you to the library. Never again will I make that mistake…" he pretended to shudder in fright.

Temperance gave him a look. "You're being ridiculous, Booth," she scolded him lightly. "Reading will do you some good. It isn't healthy for you to spend so much time in front of the TV when we're at home, you know?"

Jared, bored now that Temperance and Booth were having one of their squabbles, turned to head to his room, announcing over his shoulder that he was leaving. Neither Temperance nor Booth took much notice, which irritated him enough to slam the door to his room shut with a loud bang.

Booth, sneaking a look at the door to make sure they were really alone, smirked at Temperance. "Well, if we stayed in your room and made out, will that be healthy?" he asked her teasingly, moving with her when she went for the door.

"I'd hit you if I could," Temperance quipped wryly, though he could see the smile she was trying her best to hide.

Booth, eyeing the stack of books in her arms, held out a hand to halt her movements. "Let me carry those for you," he offered.

Temperance glared at him. "Booth! I can handle carrying books, okay? I'm not incompetent," she snapped at him.

Jeez, Booth grumbled silently. _Any other girl and I'd be getting flirty smiles and 'oh, thank you, Seeley' gushes and batted eyelashes_. A sudden image of Temperance acting as generic as some of the other girls he'd dated caused him to wince. _On the other hand, I like that she's unique_, he decided. "Alright, alright, fine," he surrendered. "Just wanted to help."

"Well…" she eyed him with narrowed eyes, wondering if he was telling the truth. "Thanks, but I can manage."

"Do you want me to drive you there?" Booth asked as they walked out of the house. "I'm going out myself."

He had been planning on asking Temperance out on a date – a real date, where they didn't need to pretend about anything. He wasn't sure how to ask her, but he figured a romantic gesture was probably in order. Nothing outrageous since firstly, he couldn't afford it, and secondly…It was embarrassing. But he didn't want to just blurt out, 'go out with me', to her. She deserved better than that. He thought he should probably get her some flowers, maybe, then ask her out.

Temperance looked at him, surprised. All the way from lunch time, he had been complaining about having to be in school and saying how he couldn't wait to get home, and now he that he was home, he wanted to leave? _What a strange boy_, she mused to herself. "Where are you going?" she asked him curiously.

"Oh, uh, just the court," he lied, not wanting to tell her about the flowers.

Temperance frowned, unsure if she believed him. "Huh, okay," she muttered anyway. "Well, that's in the opposite direction of the library," she pointed out. "I'm just going to take the bus."

Booth shook his head. "No, it's no bother…" he insisted.

Temperance smiled at him. "Really, Booth, it's fine," she assured him. "I'll just take the bus, it's fine."

Booth nodded, sighing. There was just so much he could do without being overbearing. Besides, she was a big girl, he reminded himself. She didn't need him mollycoddling her all the time.

So, with a coy smile and a - risky - quick kiss, they parted ways at the driveway, Booth heading to his car and Temperance heading to the nearest bus stop.

Booth made his way to Mia's Floral Shop, which was in the opposite direction of the library. Even so, he kept shooting glances left and right as he drove, paranoid that Temperance would see him, or that Pops or one of the guys - or, worse, Cam, who had taken to dropping obvious hints every time she saw him - would catch him. The paranoia didn't vanish as he parked his car outside the shop, and it definitely didn't stop as he stepped into the shop.

_Why the hell do people feel the need for huge glass windows?_ Booth thought exasperatedly as he snuck looks at the window. It wasn't like his tall frame was hidden well by all the flower bouquets, and the only other people in the shop was a couple of thirty-something women, and an older woman behind the counter.

Ten minutes passed with him looking at the window more than he was at the flowers - _who knew there were so many to choose from? At least with past dates, all I had to do was get roses…Did Bones even like roses? Or are those too clichéd?_ - and he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Turning around, he found himself face to face with the older woman from behind the desk. "Hello, dear," she sounded friendly enough, even if she was eyeing him suspiciously. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Um, yes?" he replied, taken aback for a moment. Clearing his throat, he spoke in a decidedly more firmer, confident voice. "I was just looking for something to give my girlfriend…"

The woman nodded, a smile forming on her red-painted lips. "Oh, of course," she positively beamed at him. "What sort of flowers does she like?"

_Well, lady, if I knew that…_

Booth simply shrugged. "I don't know," he mused. "I mean, I guess she's got a thing for daffodils," he remembered the happy smile she wore when she'd caught sight of a few daffodils at the park, on the pathway leading to the lake. She always seemed to like them whenever she saw them near the spot they always sat at when they went before. "But I wanted something…I dunno, more romantic, I guess?"

His face was completely red now, his embarrassment at having divulged something so personal to a virtual stranger catching him off guard.

The woman, however, simply appeared amused. "What's the occasion, dear?"

"Oh, I wanted to ask her out on a date - we haven't been on one, yet," Booth answered. _Ugh!_ He complained to his mind. _Isn't there a filter somewhere? Why am I telling her all these things?_

It might be the way she looked so kind, or the encouraging smile she wore, or the fact that she reminded him so completely of his grandmother, but Booth found himself telling her about his situation with Temperance, all the secrecy - though he gave vague details, and was sure not to reveal too much this time.

In five minutes, she had wrapped up a bouquet of the perfect flowers for him. "My husband, Tom - bless his soul - used to give me gardenias all the time," the woman - Mia, as he'd been asked to call her - told him with a wistful smile as she rang his purchases. "Not just in bouquets like these, but sometimes he'd put out a bowl of water and let a couple of the flowers float in them…He was a romantic one, he was. Here you go, dear. I'm sure she'll love these. It'll be perfect."

He thanked Mia, giving her extra tip just because she'd been so helpful, and hurried out of the store. He needed to get home before Temperance, and he'd still need time to sneak around the house with a bouquet of flowers, undetected by either Pops or Jared.

He saw Jared heading out of the house with a friend he hung out with often, Mickey whatshisname, as he was pulling up into the house. He supposed he was lucky on that front. Pops' beat up old car, however, was in the driveway, so Booth parked behind it and turned off the engine, just mulling over how best to get inside the house without being detected.

_Should I sneak in the back?_ He wondered, before shaking his head. Pops could be in the back, either sitting on the back porch or doing something in the kitchen or the laundry room, all of which he'd have to pass if he went in through the back.

Deciding to risk it, Booth grabbed the bouquet of flowers and snuck in very quietly through the front door. He practically tip-toed across the living room and was halfway up the first landing of the staircase when Pops' voice called out.

"Shrimp? Is that you!"

Booth spun around, one foot on a different stair, and stuck the bouquet behind his back just in time as Pops wandered out of the kitchen and came in sight. "Yeah, Pops, just got back," he said, hoping his grandfather didn't ask where he'd been.

Pops nodded. "Okay, well, I'm headed out to grab some take-out from Hal's," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll be back in a while."

Booth smiled and nodded. "Okay. See you later," he said, watching as his grandfather left, muttering under his breath about how Hal's still didn't have delivery services after all these years.

Once Pops was out the door, Booth did a little celebratory jig on the stairs, before climbing the rest of the way.

"Bones?" he called out as he walked down the hallway towards her room. "Bones, you in here? Anywhere? Bones!"

When he received no reply, Booth grinned. "Excellent," he murmured to himself.

Stepping into her room, he made his way towards her bedside table. She already had a vase there, but the purple flowers that had been there once had wilted away and she hadn't placed any new flowers in them. Booth hurriedly prepared his surprise for her, running in and out of her room to get water for the vase and to grab an unused, clear bowl from the kitchen.

He heard someone closing the front door, and froze. Looking around to make sure that his surprise was placed perfectly before running out of her room. He dashed towards the stairs, peering below to see the silhouette of a certain brunette, fourteen year old girl. Grinning excitedly, Booth ran back in the direction of his own bedroom to wait for her to discover the flowers on his own.

Temperance unwound her scarf and shrugged off her coat, hanging both of them up in the coat closet. She hauled her book bag, heavy with the books she'd just borrowed, up the stairs. She tried to be very discreet as she made her way to her room, not wanting Booth to catch sight of the heavy bag so obviously filled with books - she knew he'd just make fun of her and remind her of the 'prediction' he'd made earlier.

When she entered her room, however, she stopped short, blinking at the sight of the gorgeous white flowers in her purple vase by her bed. She frowned confusedly at them, stepping closer to the bouquet and taking note of the bowl of water next to the vase, with two of the large, beautiful white gardenias floating in the water.

"Do you like them?"

Temperance, absolutely startled, gave a little surprised yelp and dropped her book bag right on her foot. She turned around to face Booth, his impish, boyish little grin enough to make her forget about her throbbing toes.

"Booth…?" she blinked several times at him, shaking her head as though to clear it.

"I wanted to get you flowers."

And though she blushed at this, her heart racing wildly because there had never been a boy before him to had ever wanted to get her flowers, she tilted her head to the side and asked quite bluntly, "Why?"

Booth leaned away from the doorframe and stepped into her room, encircling her waist with his arms. "Because I wanted to," he repeated with a casual shrug. "Because you deserve it. Because we're together now and me getting you flowers is acceptable and isn't considered stalker behavior."

Temperance laughed, ducking her head to stare at his chest for a long moment. Looking up, she gave him a shy smile. "Thank you," she murmured. "They're very lovely."

Booth chuckled, shaking his head. She sounded all prim and proper, even when she was looking at him with bright, sparkling eyes and her cheeks were all flushed pink…She was so adorable without even realizing it, and it gave him a very sudden, strong urge to kiss her. Not even trying to resist the urge, he cupped the back of her head, fingers tangling with her soft hair, he brought their lips together, biting back a grin as he swallowed her little gasp.

"So why gardenias?" Temperance asked when they finally broke apart, her blush not yet gone.

Booth shrugged, that same boyish smile playing on his lips once more. "I wasn't sure what to get you," he admitted, raking a hand through his hair. "I didn't know what flowers you liked most. The lady at the store told me that gardenias were appropriate for us."

Temperance raised an eyebrow. She knew the meaning of gardenias, simply because her mother had been an enthusiastic gardener with a very impressive green thumb. She'd spent a lot of her time growing up at her mother's side, so it was no surprise that she'd known the meaning of flowers by age eight, and how to plant and care for them at an even younger age.

"They _are_ very appropriate for us," she agreed. "But how did she know?"

Booth sheepishly told her what had occurred down at Mia's Floral Shop, hoping she wouldn't be too angry. Fortunately for him, she only appeared to be amused.

Temperance shook her head. "Well, it's very sweet of you, Booth," she assured him, leaning up on her tip toes to brush her lips against his. "Thank you."

"I actually have an ulterior motive," he admitted.

Before he could say anything else, Temperance had sharply stated, "I'm not going to do your Trig homework for you, Booth! No matter how many times you ask or how sweet you can be!"

Booth rolled his eyes. "It's not about the homework, Bones!" he sounded exasperated, though he knew he had no right to be - he'd pestered her to 'help' him with Trig for ages and ages now.

At his words, she froze, appearing slightly mollified. "Oh," she muttered. "Then…?" she trailed off, eyeing him a little suspiciously.

Booth shook his head, unable to hold off the little amused smile on his lips. "I wanted to ask you out," he informed her.

"Ask me out?" she spoke the words as though they were alien to her, or in a foreign language she didn't understand, a broken space between each word.

He nodded. "On a date," he clarified unnecessarily. When she merely continued to stare at him, he rushed to explain, "It's just…We might not have the most conventional relationships ever, but I still want to date you, Bones. I mean, we're a couple now. We're allowed to go on dates, right? I mean, not '_allowed_', allowed, but still…I think we both deserve at least a semblance of normalcy and at least, if we're on a date, we could go somewhere, and we don't have to pretend we're not together and-"

Temperance, a growing smile on her lips that Booth had been too nervously rambling to notice, stepped even closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. At the physical contact, Booth started and his words died in his throat as he saw the humor in her eyes, the crooked smile she wore.

"I'd love to go out on a date with you, Booth," she informed him softly.

A relieved smile broke out on his lips - he knew he probably shouldn't be, since it was of the norm for couples to go on dates together, but Temperance was unpredictable at best, and he couldn't stop the sheer relief to spread through his body.

"Yeah?"

She chuckled warmly, loving the joy written all over his face, and loving the fact that it was her that brought him that joy even more. "Yes," she confirmed, just as his lips swooped down on hers in a sweet kiss.

* * *

><p>The meaning of gardenias: Secret love, sweet love, joy, good luck, 'you're lovely'.<p>

Thanks for reading!

Juliet.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>May 3, 1991<em>

It was Friday, the day of their first date.

Both Temperance and Booth had been anxiously awaiting their date the whole week - Booth had spent the week coming up with plans that would involve the two of them being able to spend time as a couple, freely, and Temperance had spent the week being nervous and guilt-ridden that they were going to have to lie to Pops about their whereabouts on Friday evening.

Still, she was excited about their date. She had never been on a date before, which only doubled her anxiety. She had no clue how to dress, or how she should wear her make-up, or even how she was supposed to act on a date at all.

She was so nervous by Friday that she allowed herself to just lose herself in her studies and her classes. She would much rather focus on schoolwork rather than obsess over every single detail of her date. _It was strange, really, that excitement and anxiety combined could make someone want to puke so much_, she mused silently as she sat in her last class of the day.

"Alright, read chapters twenty-six through twenty-eight, and write a brief review of it - to be handed in by next Wednesday," the teacher announced just as the bell rang, signifying the end of school for the week.

It was amazing the speed at which students gathered up their things and dashed out of the room, all eager for their weekend to start.

"I really don't think I can read that much over the weekend," Booth groaned from his seat next to Temperance.

Temperance merely rolled her eyes. "It's a fiction novel, Booth," she pointed out. "It's a better read than a regular school book."

Booth opened his mouth to retort when someone approached their desk.

"Seeley?"

Both of them looked up from their task of packing up their belongings. Cam Saroyan stood over Booth's desk, staring at him with wide brown eyes.

"Cam?"

"Can we talk for a bit?"

Booth and Temperance exchanged a glance. She was confused while he was wary. Temperance shrugged, "I'm going to my locker…Meet me there after you're done here?"

Booth nodded. "Sure," he bit his lip before he could add 'baby' to the end of that - not only did Temperance hated it whenever he used a term of endearment on her, it would also give them away. "I won't be long, okay?"

Temperance nodded, offering him a shy smile. Without so much as a glance Cam's way, she swept out of the classroom, book bag slung over her shoulders.

Back in English Literature classroom, Booth continued packing up the remaining of his things as Cam stood opposite him. "So what's going on, Cam?" he asked her casually, hoping that he had read her wrong and that she wasn't about to ask him out - it wasn't like she'd been subtle these past couple of weeks, dropping hints left and right.

Cam tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear. "Listen, Seeley…"

"Don't call me that," he threw her way, hoping to stall the inevitable conversation.

Cam smiled coyly. "Okay, fine," she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "_Booth_, then. I just…Look, do you want to maybe see a movie with me or something tonight?"

Booth winced internally. "Uh, sorry, Cam, but I've already got plans," he told her apologetically. Well, at least he was telling the truth.

Cam frowned at him. "A date?" she asked, barely concealing her disappointed tone.

Booth almost choked on air. "Well, um, I'm going to spend time with Temperance," he muttered, unsure whether he should just tell her the lie he was going to give to Pops - that he and Temperance were going out with a bunch of friends to hang out.

_Better not_, his inner voice warned. _She'd want to tag along if it's just a group of friends going. I don't want to ruin the date, especially before it even began_.

Cam's expression - and her mood - lifted at that. "Oh," she replied perkily. She really didn't see the competition in the younger girl. Despite how close Temperance and Booth were, Cam simply didn't see the two of them getting together. She was fourteen years old, for God's sake. Cam had a much higher chance with Booth. "Well, I was just thinking…Maybe we could go on a date sometime."

Booth slung the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. "Cam…" he began, giving her an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry, but I really don't think of you like that…"

Cam frowned. "Why not?" she demanded, confused and hurt and embarrassed all at once.

Booth shrugged. "I just don't," he replied lamely. "I mean, I think you're a good friend, Cam, but nothing more. I'm sorry."

"Is it her?" she couldn't help but blurt out, her eyes never straying from his. She didn't even need to say the name, both of them knowing exactly who she was talking about.

"No, it's not," Booth lied. "Listen, I've gotta go. Bones is waiting for me. See you Monday."

Cam watched as Booth threw a half-hearted wave her way, jogging out of the classroom. She sighed, shaking her head. Maybe Jimmy had been right. Maybe there was something between Booth and his little sidekick. _It just doesn't make any sense_, she groused to herself, mostly trying to boost up her ego after having been rejected - she had to admit, it had never happened before to her, and it was more than a little disconcerting. _She's just so…Awkward. And weird. And nerdy. What the hell does he see in her?_

Temperance was switching her Trig book for her French book when someone called out her name. Looking up, she smiled as she caught sight of the familiar face. "Hey, Shane," she greeted him.

"Hey," Shane flashed her a smile. "Listen, Tempe…I need to talk to you about something."

Her eyebrows furrowed, Temperance grabbed one last notebook from her locker before closing it. "What is it?" she inquired curiously.

"It's about tomorrow."

Temperance searched her blank mind for a moment before remembering that she had made plans to see a movie with Shane the next day. It wasn't a date, just some time spent between two friends. She had agreed, the first time he had asked her, when she and Booth weren't speaking with one another and he had gone off to spend time with Cam without her. With a vengeance borne out of jealousy, she'd agreed to hang out with Shane - if and _only_ if he'd agree to her terms that their time together would be purely platonic. She didn't think she was interested in him that way and she didn't want him to think otherwise.

He had agreed after some deliberation. However, here he was, standing in front of her, getting up his courage to ask for more. "I know you've said before that you just wanted to be friends," he started. "I was just wondering…Could we be more? I mean, I think we could be more."

Temperance blinked at him confusedly. "I don't understand," she admitted softly. "You want to…?"

"I want to go on a date with you."

Temperance blushed furiously. _Now two boys want to date me?_ Temperance thought incredulously. It seemed unreal. She had always been invisible, even when her parents and brother had been around. Maybe she had been drawn to Shane's attention because they were both foster kids, but why would he want to date her?

Regardless, she had no interest in him whatsoever, not as anything more as friends. So, sighing, she eyed him with badly concealed contriteness. "Shane…"

He understood what she was about to tell him just by the tone of her voice. "You just want to stay friends," he stated flatly.

Temperance nodded. "I'm really sorry," she murmured quietly. "I just…I don't think it's the right time for me to start dating. I'm sorry."

"Bones!" they heard.

Shane turned and saw Seeley Booth headed their way, flashing a brilliant smile her way and glaring in Shane's direction. _Sure, it's not the right time - _that's_ the reason you don't want to go on a date with me_, he thought sarcastically.

"What's going on?" Booth asked as he reached the pair.

Shane shook his head, answering before Temperance could. "It's nothing," he said quickly. "I was just letting Temperance know that I can't make it tomorrow."

Temperance's eyes widened, but he refused to look into her blue eyes - her eyes always made his insides go all spongy and he couldn't back down now.

"Shane…"

Shane gave her a strained smile. "It's fine, really," he gave her a short wave. "I'll see you in class next week."

Booth watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. He wasn't a big fan of Shane, considering Temperance had gone out with him a couple of times - she'd assured him at the lake, after their first official kiss as a couple, that they were nothing more than friends, but Booth could see the other boy wanted her in a more-than-friends way, and it irritated him to no end.

_Hey, I have a right to be annoyed_, he thought, suddenly happier. _She's my girlfriend_.

"What was that all about?" he asked Temperance, who sighed in response.

"He wanted to be more than friends," she replied sulkily, her words not surprising him in the least. "I thought he understood I wasn't interested in him that way."

Booth shrugged, all of his bad mood gone completely, and slung his arm around her shoulders. "Some people just can't take a hint, I guess," he said cheerfully, steering her gently towards the school's entrance. "C'mon, let's get home."

* * *

><p>Temperance glared at her wardrobe, hands on her hips. It was almost time for her to leave on her date with Booth - they were set to leave in half an hour, in fact - and she was still undressed, wrapped in her soft pink bathrobe.<p>

She sighed, running a hand through her newly-dried hair. Her frustrations at her inability to pick a simple outfit and get dressed for a date was reaching a high. Her heart pounded with anxiety, and she slowly sank down at the edge of her bed. Elbows leaned on her knees, her cheeks cupped in her palms, she stared desolately at her clothes, hoping that something would come flying out and hit her in the face, no matter how impossible that may seem.

"Mom, I wish you were here," she whispered to the still air in the room, tears welling up in her eyes. If her mother were here, she wouldn't be so stressed out. Christine Brennan always looked beautiful, and Temperance knew that her mother was in no means at all as awkward as she was. All she'd had to do was ask her mother for help, and everything would be fine.

Everything would be different if her mother were here; she would still attend the same high school, because their house was so close by - just a few blocks away, actually - but she wouldn't have to hide her relationship with Booth, she wouldn't be lying to anyone, and she would most definitely be in a better shape than she was at the moment.

Instead, she was locked inside her room in her boyfriend's grandfather's house, practically crying because she didn't know what she was supposed to do before a date.

Blinking away the tears, Temperance took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. _Pull yourself together, Temperance_, she scolded herself. Banishing away thoughts about how scary this all seemed, and reminding herself that this was Booth she was going out with and that everything would be just fine, she stood up and bounded over to her wardrobe. Pulling out a few items, she tried them on one by one, to see which looked best on her.

Finally, she settled on a pink soft cotton top, with lace trimmings around the buttons, and a knee length light pink georgette skirt.

Sneaking a look at the clock, she hurried to finish her hair and make-up, opting to go for a look she had seen plenty of times on Russ' once-serious girlfriend, Sarah - hair down, with a small portion pinned up on each side, and light, natural make-up.

She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She didn't look all that bad. In fact, she was comparable to Sarah on one of her dates with Russ.

_Maybe I can do this on my own_, she mused.

Slipping on her shoes - flats the same color as her black jacket - and grabbing her jacket, Temperance opened her door just in time to see Booth on the other side, fist raised as though to knock.

He lowered his fist slowly, his jaw dropping slightly at the sight of her. "Wow, Bones…" he breathed.

It wasn't to say, of course, that he didn't find her pretty every day, but he had never seen her in 'date mode' before. He wasn't even sure if she had a date mode, but here she was, all dressed up, with a slight blush coloring her cheeks, and her lips painted a pretty pink.

Temperance ducked her head shyly. "You look very nice, Booth," she told him honestly, eyeing his jeans and his black button-down. _He looked quite dashing_, she commented girlishly to herself.

He blinked several times, as though coming out of a stupor, and a large, silly smile started to spread from one ear to another. "Thank you. You look very beautiful, Bones," glancing over his shoulder to make sure the hallway was still empty, he stepped closer to her to press a soft kiss to her velvet cheek.

Temperance's eyes were shining brightly as he pulled back, a shy, excited smile pulling at the edges of her lips.

"I have something for you," Booth pulled out a pretty bouquet of flowers from behind his back. He'd gone back to Mia's Floral Shop after school earlier, and had snuck a bouquet of daisies, daffodils and these little blue and purple flowers Mia had called 'Phlox' up to his room, ready to be given to her just before their date started.

Temperance reached for the flowers, her cheeks reddening, and stepped back into her room. "Thank you, Booth, they're very beautiful," she murmured, placing the flowers together with the gardenias she had been careful to keep as lovely as the day she'd gotten them.

Once she had done so, she returned to the doorway to join Booth. "Are you ready for our non-date?" Booth asked her, taking her hand in his much bigger one.

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "Non-date?" she repeated in confusion.

He nodded. "To throw people off," he joked.

She rolled her eyes, her expression amused. "I'm ready," she assured him. "Come on."

Pops was in the living room, watching TV with Jared, when the two of them appeared downstairs, hands parting.

"You two heading out?" Pops asked unnecessarily, head swiveling around to look at them, eyes narrowing at the sight of their outfits.

Booth nodded, deciding to answer for the both of them since Temperance was already such a bad liar without the added stress of lying to Pops of all people. "Yeah, we're just going to go out with a couple of friends, see a movie or something," he said vaguely, shrugging nonchalantly.

Pops eyed them suspiciously. "You're just going out with a bunch of friends? That's it?" he asked, stressing his words.

Booth nodded once more.

"This isn't a group date, is it?"

"No, Pops, it's not," Booth assured him. _The first truth I've told him_, he sighed, feeling a smidge of guilt. "Just as friends."

Pops was silent for a long time, just staring at the two of them as though he was hoping the truth would come spilling forth if he stared long enough.

Finally, though, he nodded. "Okay. Don't be out too long," he warned.

"We'll be back by eleven, Pops, don't worry," Booth assured him. Resisting the urge to take hold of Temperance's hand once more, he grabbed both of their coats from the coat closet and handed Temperance hers.

"Bye, Pops, bye, Jared," Temperance called out, smiling weakly and waving.

She remained as stiff as a board until they were in his car, seatbelts locked in place, and Booth was pulling out of the driveway. The further he drove from the house, the more relaxed she became. Booth chuckled as he glanced at her. "Not a big fan of lying, huh?" he teased her.

Temperance scowled at him. "No, as a matter of fact, I'm not," she informed him matter-of-factly, crossing her arms over her chest.

They reached a red light, and Booth stepped on the brake, waiting for the light to turn green. He reached out and took her hand in his, lifting their joined hands up to press a kiss to the back of her hand. Tension seeping out of her body completely, she turned her head and returned the smile he gave her.

"So where are we going?" Temperance asked, glancing at him curiously as he drove.

They were going farther away than the places they'd ever gone to before, mostly because he wanted to be sure that no one from school would be able to recognize them. He had picked out a place halfway to the other side of the city. "Well, we're going to dinner first," he said. Pausing, he quirked an eyebrow at her. "You're not allergic to Japanese, are you?"

Twenty minutes later, he was parked outside a sushi restaurant called 'the Sake Bar'.

The Sake Bar, as it turned out, was a restaurant that had a cozy, romantic atmosphere, with dim lights and lit candles, and cozy booths everywhere.

Temperance was surprised to learn, when they approached the hostess stand, that Booth had reserved a table for the two of them.

Her stomach churned the same way it had when Cam used to gush about how good looking Booth was to her, when Paula the hostess led the two of them to their table, eyeing Booth appreciatively the whole way. Paula left them with a flirty smile tossed Booth's way.

"Okay, not trying that one again," Booth gagged, spitting out the salmon roll.

Temperance giggled, chewing on her own salmon roll with unabashed pleasure. "I don't know why you don't like it, Booth, it's tasty," she teased, dipping the last half of the roll in spicy sauce.

Booth made a face, reaching his chopsticks out for a spicy tuna roll instead. "Now _that's_ sushi," he grinned happily, tossing the entire thing into his mouth.

Temperance rolled her eyes at him, though her amused expression didn't waver. "You eat like a pig, Booth," she sighed, shaking her head, though she made no move to really chastise him. Even with the romantic setting and their date clothes, it was as though they were back at Pops' house, sitting in front of the TV, fighting for the last piece of food. As it was, they were having a 'chopstick war', as Booth dubbed it, trying to get the last spicy tuna roll.

After getting their Mochi ice cream, Booth and Temperance headed out of Sake Bar - with the hostess, of course, trying to discreetly give Booth her number to no avail. "Where are we going next?" Temperance asked, popping the last of her Mochi ice cream into her mouth.

"It's a surprise," he told her, a smile tugging on his lips as he led her a few blocks down. While the sushi place had been really fun, their next location was something he'd searched and planned for hours on end. At first, it had seemed like a too-clichéd idea, to just take her out for dinner and a movie, but when he'd seen that the Black and White Theatre was just a few blocks away from the restaurant they were going to, he knew what he had to do.

"We're going to see a movie?" Temperance asked as they stopped in front of the two-story movie complex.

Booth nodded. "Yeah, we are," he confirmed.

"Which one?" Temperance looked around - the place was different than the usual cinema they went to. The movie posters seemed…Well, they were still glossy, but they were mostly black and white, and they didn't look like new movies. She shrugged absent mindedly. _I don't know much about the new movies, though_, she pointed out to herself.

She was about to ask him again when her eyes caught sight of a particular poster. The words 'Clara Bow' stood out the most.

Temperance gasped, her hand immediately seeking out Booth's arm. "Booth," she whispered excitedly. Booth simply smiled, knowing that she'd caught on to his surprise. Stepping up to the ticket booth, he said, "Two tickets for the Plastic Age, please."

Temperance's eyes widened.

It hadn't been a secret, at least between her and Booth, that she absolutely _loved_ Clara Bow - when her mother had still been around, Temperance used to watch the films with her on late Saturday nights, just curled up on the couch, mother and daughter, making up nonsensical words for the silent films. She hadn't had a chance to watch any Clara Bow movies ever since her parents disappeared, not even now when she was living with Pops.

"Booth, this is so great," she whispered, as he paid for their tickets. "Are you sure you want to watch this, though?"

He frowned at her as they walked hand in hand towards the concession stand to get some snacks for the movie. "Why wouldn't I want to?"

Temperance shrugged. "This isn't your type of a movie, Booth," she pointed out.

Booth raised an eyebrow. "My type of a movie? I have a type?" he asked teasingly.

She rolled her eyes in response, though her large smile at his gesture hadn't diminished even in the slightest. "Yes, your type," she replied, her tone just as playful. "You like action movies, where things blow up and people have guns…And there are a lot of sexy women."

He blushed a little at that, though he couldn't resist wagging his eyebrow at her in a ridiculous gesture, making her laugh.

"This is a romantic story," she continued, once her laughter had somewhat subsided - she felt far too giddy and euphoric for it to disappear completely. "Not only that, it's also a silent movie…I don't think you'll enjoy yourself, Booth."

He shook his head, waving his hand as though to dismiss her words. "Ah, don't worry about it, Bones," he assured her. "If watching a silent movie makes you happy, then I'm more than fine with it."

A bashful smile flitted across her lips, her cheeks blushing pink at his words. She was flattered, flustered, that he would really put her wants above his, even if it was for just a date. She couldn't begin to explain to herself why his gestures were making her heart race wildly, but she tried not to question it too much - at least, not until she was back in her room, able to analyze everything on her own.

"You are very charming," she informed Booth matter-of-factly.

Booth grinned down at her, loving the soft smile that played on the edges of her lips; that smile made her whole face softer somehow, prettier than she was already. His heart thumped loudly in his chest even as he tried to downplay his actions by giving her an exaggerated wink and saying cockily, "I know."

A chuckle burst forth from her lips and, rolling her eyes, Temperance reached out and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Cocky," she warned playfully.

He pretended he was really wounded, and she made some sort of a comment about how she couldn't have hurt him with such a light touch due to his muscular body structure which, of course, he just had to tease her about.

Finally, fingers entwined, Booth squeezed her hand lightly, letting her know that he knew that she felt a little overwhelmed, and that he understood. They shared a silent look, filled with secret smiles and hidden pasts revealed to each other only in their eyes, before Booth leaned towards her and pressed another soft kiss to her cheek - he was a lot more physically intimate during their date, she noticed, and had been giving her short, chaste kisses every opportunity he got, be it on the cheek, the forehead or the lips. She wasn't complaining at all. She liked the new aspect of their relationship quite a bit.

_He's an excellent kisser_, she mused to herself. _He gives me tingles…I don't know if that's normal. Probably a release of serotonin_. She allowed herself a moment of girlish giddiness before getting back to the present.

They bought popcorn and sodas, and Booth insisted on getting an array of chocolates and candies, and made their way into the right theatre room. The room was already darkened, but they could still clearly make out the outlines of several other people spread out around the room. Booth was actually surprised - a nice a gesture as this was for Temperance, he didn't really think anyone else was into silent movies.

_Huh_, he thought to himself as he glanced around. _Who knew?_

They settled into their red velvet seats, right in the middle of a center aisle row, with no one on either side of them - there were only a few others in the theatre, and the closest people to them were a bunch of twenty-something college students sitting right behind them two rows back.

Booth grabbed a handful of popcorn, popping them into his mouth and ripped open a bag of M&Ms. "So," he said after a while, just as the velvet curtains at the very front of the room slid open, revealing the screen. "When you say it's a silent movie…How silent are we talking?"

Temperance shot him an amused look, one eyebrow raised.

"No dialogue at all?" he continued to guess. "Some? Just one line…?" As she started to shake her head, laughing silently, he frowned. "There's at least gonna be music, right?"

"Booth, really," she whispered quietly, a genuinely amused smile on her face. "I wouldn't be offended if you want to leave."

This seemed to steel his resolve on watching this romantic silent film, for he sat up straighter, shaking his head. "No, no, I was kidding," he assured her. "We'll watch it, huh? See what's so great about this Claire Bowen."

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Clara Bow," she corrected, even when they both knew he'd messed up the name on purpose.

"It's fine," Booth said, lifting an arm to wrap around her shoulders. She smiled and snuggled into his side, sipping her drink happily. "It'll be fun."

Forty minutes later found the two of them laughing, walking out of the theatre as fast as they could without actually bursting into a run, their hands clasped together, a surly looking usher showing them out.

"No, I enjoyed it," Booth was protesting, trying to suppress his laughter as he defended himself.

Temperance, on the other hand, was almost doubled over in laughter, shaking her head. "Booth, you fell asleep!"

"I…dozed off," he corrected her delicately, the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "For like a minute."

"You were snoring - loudly."

"I was not!" he was adamant about that. He had never snored in his life and he would never start.

She snorted a little. "Please, it sounded like someone had started the engine of a huge truck right next to me," she said sarcastically. "I can't believe you got us kicked out."

He faked a shocked expression. "Me!"

Temperance grinned at him, not buying his act for one minute. "Yes, you," she jabbed him lightly on the chest with the pointer finger of the hand that wasn't clasped in his.

Booth scoffed. "They should've thrown out the group behind us," he grumbled. "They were the ones who threw popcorn at us."

"Yes, yes, they did," she nodded solemnly. "They threw popcorn at you for talking for the first twenty minutes of the movie-"

"I wasn't talking, I was making up dialogue for the actors," he interrupted her, a sly grin on his face.

She ignored this and continued, "-then they called security to throw us out when your snoring started to sound like a bulldozer at work."

"I don't know why they were so bothered…It's not like I was interrupting any important speeches," he joked, causing her to laugh loudly. He gently tugged on her hand, swinging her around to face him as they came to a stop a foot away from his car. "Are you mad at me?"

To his surprise, she merely stepped closer to him, her hands coming up to press lightly against his chest. His arms automatically came up to wrap around her waist. They began a slow, swaying movement, as though they were slow dancing on the spot to some invisible music.

"No," she sighed, her tone a little dreamy. "I sort of expected you to fall asleep." At his outraged expression, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Besides…It was kind of funny."

A mischievous sparkle gleamed in his eyes, and his next words were spoken in a teasingly warning tone, "Oh, it was, huh?"

"Yes," she replied without hesitation, though she might grow to regret her answer when his arms unwound from around her waist, his hands settling instead on her hips before his fingers wriggled up and down her sides. "Booth!" she shrieked, squirming away from him as best as she could in an attempt to avoid his tickling hands.

When he'd finally stopped - in other words, when Temperance had managed to steal the car keys from his pocket and climbed into the safety of her own seat - they sat together in the car, warming their hands against the heater for a moment.

"So what d'you want to do next?" Booth asked, glancing at the clock on the radio. "It's only nine forty-five. We've got time to spare."

Temperance bit on her lower lip, considering. She didn't think she wanted to go anywhere near Pops' house because it was a Friday night and Booth had mentioned to her when he'd arranged for their first date to be on a Friday that this was generally the night of the week that couples go on dates. She thought of the places nearby they could go to, but she didn't really know the area.

Her eyes lit up as her memory sparked. Remembering one of the many stores they'd passed before reaching the Sake Bar for dinner earlier in the evening, she turned to Booth, an excited smile on her face.

"We could go for dessert," she suggested, knowing that he would probably already be hooked just by that one word. "I saw an ice-cream Shoppe a few blocks away when you were driving earlier. Maybe we could go see if it's still open?"

Booth had absolutely no idea what a Shoppe was - it sounded strange enough to him - but there was 'ice cream' added in front of the word and he was all for it. "Sure," he agreed instantly. "Let's go."

As it turned out, Merle's Old Fashioned Soda Shoppe was like a candy store and a diner rolled into one, only better.

Booth ended up gaping at the sweets selection before joining Temperance at the bar up front, where they ordered a Black and White ice cream soda for Brennan, and a root beer float and chili cheese hotdog for Booth.

Merle's was owned by an old couple, Lyle and Janie Merle, who seemed content with having Booth and Temperance sit at a window booth, drinking root beer float and eating homemade ice-cream all night.

Eventually, though, it was time for them to head back.

"We're going to be late if we stay any longer, Booth," Temperance chided, shaking her head at him as he continued to deliberate between candy choices. "Just pick one - you've already bought a ton as it is. It's hardly healthy."

"Once in a while, Bones, we're allowed to indulge ourselves," he countered, finally deciding on something called Broadway Rolls to add to his large selection of candies.

They left Merle's, the old couple sweetly biding them goodbye and telling them to return soon ("Not likely," Temperance had scoffed. "He has enough candy to last him a year.", to which Booth had smartly replied that it would only take him a few days to finish off), at exactly ten-forty five.

"We are so late," Booth groaned as he urged his car to go faster.

Temperance rolled her eyes. "_You_ were the one who kept wanting to stay longer," she reminded him, her nails digging into her seat as he sped along the mostly empty road. "Would you slow down, Booth? You're going over the speed limit."

"Do you want to get busted by Pops or not?"

"Of course I don't, but we're not going to make it back home in…Less than seven minutes, so I don't know why you're speeding in the first place," she huffed.

"I'm speeding so we won't be _extremely_ late," he explained to her.

She sighed. "This is how people die, late at night on the road," she commented morbidly. "They think no one's around and they could just speed all they want, then out comes a deer…"

He shot her a look as though he was questioning her sanity. "Bones, we live in Chicago," he said, as though she didn't already know this. "There are no deers in Chicago."

"The plural of 'deer' is still 'deer'," she corrected him out of nowhere. "Not 'deers'. That's just…Completely inaccurate."

"Oh, what are you, the grammar police?"

They continued to bicker, hints of laughter in their voices, a certain sparkle in their eyes, as Booth drove - considerably slower this time because he could see just how agitated she became when he sped too fast. They even got started on a pack of the taffy he'd bought at Merle's earlier.

By the time they reached the house, it was well past eleven twenty, and the house was completely darkened, not even the porch light turned on. Booth turned off the engine, grabbed his bag of candy and rushed to Temperance's side to open the door for her before she could do so herself. Though she scowled momentarily at him, she slipped her hand into his and entwined their fingers together, a shy little smile breaking out on her lips.

"It looks like Pops and Jared are asleep," Booth commented as they walked up the steps to the front porch of the house.

Temperance merely made a humming noise at the back of her throat to acknowledge his observation.

She was saddened that their date had come to an end - she'd had a fun time with Booth. It was almost like the times they'd spent together when he'd still been dating Katie, going for pizza or frozen yogurt, or when they'd gone to the park together countless times before. He was funny and charming and, for all that it's worth, he'd made her so happy she forgot all about any doubts or fears she might have.

The only difference this time was, of course, that they were much more intimate with each other. They held hands and kissed every chance they could, and Booth would place his arm over her shoulders and she'd snuggle into his side, and there had been the ten minutes they'd spent just kissing each other in his car after they'd departed from Merle's.

She couldn't remember a time in her life when she had been this deliriously happy. The Christmas vacation she had spent with her parents and Russ when she was ten, all the way in Colorado, came as a close second, but the happiness she'd felt then wasn't really comparable to this, not when she felt nothing close to familial affection for Booth.

Booth, on the other hand, was feeling jittery. Usually, at the end of a good date, he'd kiss the girl before they parted ways. Of course, he'd already done that with Temperance after they'd left Merle's, but that had been a make-out session. He wanted to have one last sweet kiss before they headed inside.

He was nervous they'd get caught. It wasn't like getting caught hadn't ever happened to him before. The fathers of the girls he'd dated previously would always be hovering nearby, porch lights bright open, just waiting to yank open the door, offer him a stiff smile and a curt nod and inform their daughters 'politely' that it was time to say goodnight and head inside since it was late already.

But this was different. If they were to get caught, it would be mayhem for them. First of all, Pops would be the one doing all the catching. And it would, no doubt, create terrible repercussions for the two of them considering their complicated situation.

_Still_, some devilish inner voice taunted him. _The porch lights are off. The house is dark from top to bottom. You know it's way past bedtime for Jared, and Pops is probably already in bed_…

This was what made him halt to a stop as soon as they were on the porch, and turn his body so that he was facing Temperance. She did the same to him, frowning slightly at his actions. "Booth?" she murmured, her sweet, slightly husky voice sending a shiver down his spine. "Why did you stop?"

Her wide, curious baby blues pierced him as she gazed at him in wonder, as though the answer to her question was written on his very skull.

She looked so incredibly beautiful, with her hair all soft and shiny, and her skin as silky as can be, and her lips were still a rosy pink color. The devilish inner voice spoke again. _Kiss her. You know you want to_.

It was all the temptation he needed, so he stepped closer to her, watching her eyes grow even rounder in shock, a slight panic in her expression as her eyes flickered slightly towards the door before finding him once more.

"I just…I don't think I'll be able to say this inside," he murmured in a low tone, pressing his fingertips to her slim hips gently, their bodies so close he could feel her body heat seeping into him. "So I had to say this here."

"Say what?" she whispered, though she seemed to sense the intimacy of the moment, her hands resting against his chest as she gazed up at him.

Booth lowered his head until their foreheads touched, their eyes barely an inch away from one another, matching coy smiles spreading across their lips. "I wanted to say that it's been a great night," he said finally, urging himself to not let his emotions burst forth. He knew she'd probably wouldn't be able to handle it just yet. "And that it's been the best date I've ever been on."

Her mouth formed an 'o' shape, surprise flickering in her eyes. "It has?" she sounded skeptical. They hadn't done much that was new, except for all the kissing and hand holding. They'd been on 'sort of dates' before, when they weren't a couple yet. Surely, he'd been on other dates that were far more satisfactory.

_Maybe it was the sense of familiarity_, she rationalized in her mind. _After all, the whole point of dates was to get to know someone. Perhaps in the past, he was too anxious about that aspect whereas tonight, he didn't have to worry since he already knows me_.

Booth nodded seriously. "Yes," he replied without any hesitation. "You're the best girl I've ever been out with."

Temperance blushed furiously, the gushy, girly side of her pushing through strongly, much to her general annoyance. _When he puts it like that_…she sighed in her mind, smiling wryly as she thought of just how charming Seeley Booth could be.

As though he knew that he'd undoubtedly charmed her - and he probably did, too, since he was so good at reading people; more importantly at reading _her_ - Booth smiled widely, his hands drifting up to cup her cheeks gently in his palms, the rope-like straps of the bag of candy hanging from his right wrist.

Their mouths barely brushed each other, once, twice, as though they were suddenly shy. Still smiling, Booth tilted her face up gently, and slanted his lips over hers in a firmer kiss. Their mouths moving together, Temperance's fingers curled, fisting his shirt, her face flushing hotly.

They were so wrapped up in each other, so engrossed in their embrace, that they didn't hear the soft, muffled footsteps approaching them from the other side of the door.

The front door swung open swiftly, the porch lights still off, the house still as dark as it had been when they'd pulled up to it.

As though burned, Booth and Temperance sprang apart from one another hastily, both of them blushing in wide-eyed panic as they stared at the person who had caught them in their secret act.

"Pops!" Booth spluttered, gaping at his grandfather, his heart racing madly and cold perspiration beading on his forehead.

A slight pain caused Temperance to raise her hand and instinctively pressed it against her bottom lip. "Ow! You bit my lip!" she complained to Booth.

Booth, whose eyes still looked as though they could be popping out of their sockets at any moment, turned his head sharply to look at her, his skin growing redder and redder by the second. If she hadn't realized just how serious their situation was, she would've found Booth's obvious panic - his head swiveling from Temperance to Pops and back again several times, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water - to be comical.

"Bones! Shush!" Booth hissed in a low tone that didn't escape Pops whatsoever. "Pops will hear you!"

Pops gave them both a displeased look. "Oh, there's no chance of secrecy, Seeley," he assured his grandson in a deceptively calm tone. "I've been waiting for you two to stop eating each other's faces out here for the past minute and a half."

Both Temperance - who realized that Pops might not be quite so literal when he said 'eating each other's faces' - and Booth ducked their heads in shame, both blushing heavily and unable to meet Pops' eyes.

"Come on in," the eldest Booth sighed heavily. "We need to talk."

Booth and Temperance shared a worried look before they stepped past the threshold and followed Pops into the darkened living room.

Pops closed the door behind him, following the two teenagers into the living room. He flicked on a switch at the end of one wall, and light flooded the living room. Blinking slightly at the sudden brightness, Pops waved his hand and gestured at the couch. "Sit," he ordered, his voice a little more stern than it had been when he'd greeted them earlier.

Booth and Temperance, both incredibly nervous, quickly did as they were told, sitting side by side on the couch as Pops took his usual seat in his armchair.

He eyed them, taking note of every detail, minor or otherwise - the two lovebirds sat incredibly close to one another, not out of indecency, but he suspected out of comfort, and they gripped each other's hands tightly, resting their entwined fingers on Booth's thigh. Their faces were drawn, tight with apprehension, and Pops understood that they knew what they had been doing would create problems or, at the very least, worries.

He sighed once more and opened his mouth to start, though he really had no idea where to begin. Before he could say even a word, however, he was interrupted.

"Pops," Booth hastened to explain - this was such a big thing, a _monumental_ thing, and he wished desperately for Pops to understand where he and Temperance were coming from. She was sitting beside him, stoic and her shoulders hunched, as though waiting for bad news that would take away all the happiness they'd had in the past week. He knew he had to be the one to say something. "Just…Please let us explain."

Hank Booth eyed his sixteen year old grandson, dark brown eyes narrowed, but he gave a curt nod anyway.

"Listen, Pops…" Booth shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "We didn't mean to hide it from you."

Pops raised an eyebrow, silently scoffing at that.

Booth seemed to understand because he had the decency to look ashamed, amending his statement. "Okay, we did," he relented. "But we felt like we had to. I mean…Our situation is complicated."

"Damn right it is," Pops couldn't help himself.

Booth nodded solemnly. "The thing is…I'm not playing around here, Pops, _you know that_," that last part was spoken in a lower, more urgent tone. His eyes had widened, as though to convey a silent message to Pops, reminding him of their conversations in the past regarding Temperance.

Pops had, of course, known bits and pieces of Booth's feelings for Temperance. And what he hadn't been told outright, he'd either observed for himself or speculated. But this didn't alleviate his worries one bit. In his opinion, adding feelings to this whole mess would only complicate things further, if that were even possible.

"How long was it that you planned on hiding this from me?" Pops demanded.

Booth dropped his gaze. "We didn't really think that one out," he admitted. Despite all the precautions they'd taken to hide their relationship, they'd never given the timing real thought. "All we knew was that we wanted to be together, and we knew that Bones probably couldn't stay here if her social worker or…" A pleading look crossed his features, his tone softened, "Or if _you_ found out."

Pops didn't reply.

"So we thought, if we could just keep it quiet until we didn't have to anymore…" Booth resisted the urge to shrug. He didn't think it would be wise to give the impression that he was taking all of this lightly, especially since it was the farthest thing from the truth. "I mean, we weren't going to hurt anyone, Pops. She just…She can't leave. You _know_ she belongs with us."

Temperance's head jerked a little at the mention of the word 'belong', but she still kept her gaze on her skirt, and she didn't lift her head to look at anyone, nor did she say anything. Her hand was gripping his so tightly, he couldn't even feel it anymore but he knew she needed the support so he let her, trying his best to squeeze back in comfort.

Pops sighed, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. He noticed that, despite the distance between their seats, as soon as he'd lifted his hand, Temperance flinched as though she was awaiting some sort of physical punishment.

Pops frowned. _Well, Seeley's right_, he admitted to himself. _That girl's been through hell. She's good here…But can we really do this? Am I supposed to just…Let 'em date? It's not right, is it?_

He watched, with barely concealed interest, as Booth turned to Temperance. He was an observant boy and had noticed Temperance's flinch, too. He released her hand, only to grasp it again with his right hand, his other arm wrapped around her shoulders in a hug. He watched as his sixteen year old grandson, wise beyond his age due to the demons in his own past, held Temperance close to his side, pressed a loving kiss to her forehead and murmured comforting words Pops himself couldn't hear.

He watched as, bit by bit, the pallor of her skin grew to be not quite as ashen, her shoulders not as tensed, though her expression was still very clearly worried, her head turned to Booth.

Pops eyed them, contemplating deeply. They were both good kids, though they were only teenagers. He knew that it was a dangerous time for them, especially with emotions and hormones and all of that involved. _Of course, this wasn't a big house_, Pops reasoned. _They're at school most the day, and when they come home, I'm here, Jared's here. They don't really have a lot of free time to be alone together. And I'll have to keep a closer, sharper eye out_.

Quite unable to believe what he was about to say, Pops suppressed a grimace. _Remember, Hank_, he told himself consolingly. _Be stern_.

"Listen, I'm not saying I approve of this," he said finally.

He noticed that both Booth and Temperance jumped, as though they had gotten so caught up in their little bubble that his voice had jolted them back into the outside world all of a sudden. The two of them looked his way and Pops gave them both a strict look.

"But you're right, son," he nodded at Booth. "Tempe's a part of the family."

Temperance looked up at that.

She had wanted to speak for herself, say what was on her mind, defend her actions, but she had been paralyzed by fear the entire time they'd been in the living room. She was afraid, not of Pops lashing out at her physically because she already knew he wasn't the kind of man to do something like that - though she knew he wouldn't be the first person to change drastically so suddenly - but of being sent away.

As kind and generous as Pops might have been in the past, she didn't think he would accommodate a foster girl dating his own grandson in his house. She had already asked too much of him and his family, and she knew that this would probably push him over the edge and get him to send her to back to Ms. Briggs all over again.

It was a strange feeling, to be so guarded and prepared for such a situation, yet to be so devastatingly heartbroken by it.

So she had sat there while Booth spoke for the both of them - something she wasn't proud of, since she'd tried to be as independent as possible ever since she was a small child - dreading the moment when Pops would tell her that it just wasn't working out and she had to leave.

But now, Pops had spoken six words that had shaken up her world - '_Tempe's a part of the family_'. As though she belonged there. As though there was no question about it at all. Not a single doubt. At least for him.

To her immense embarrassment, her eyes started to well up with tears, her entire face flaming a fire engine red color.

"I-I am?"

She hated that stutter as well.

Pops nodded, biting back the small smile he actually felt like giving at the moment. He needed to be the stern parental figure, and smiling would just ruin the affect. "But there's going to be some rules," he said, in response to her question, his gaze shifting from one teenager to the other multiple times.

"Rules?" Temperance asked, biting her lower lip. "You don't want us dating, do you?"

Now that she knew Pops wasn't going to send her back - _not yet, anyway_, a tiny voice borne out of her self-doubt and insecurities taunted her - she expected the second worse thing to happen. It was a natural reflex by now, to expect the worst. And it wasn't as though she hadn't had proof in the past. She had been getting one bad break after another since she was twelve years old.

Booth entering her life had been the only good thing to have happened to her since then, bringing along his family with him. If she had to stop seeing him romantically to keep him and his family in her life, then so be it.

_At least it won't be forever_, she thought sadly. _We can date after I'm not in foster care anymore. If he isn't seeing someone else by then, that is_. She figured he probably would be, since she didn't think he'd wait years just for her. _Human beings just aren't programmed to be in a monogamous relationship their whole lives…It makes no sense for him to wait to be with me when he could be with any other girl he wanted_.

Pops raised an eyebrow at her question, uttered so despondently. "Ideally, no," he admitted with a small nod. Booth glared at his grandfather, though he remained silent. "But I'm not going to forbid you from dating each other."

Booth and Temperance both perked up, staring at him with incredulous expressions on their faces and jaws dropped. "You're not!" Booth yelped, while Temperance merely gaped.

Pops shook his head. "No, but there has to be ground rules," he added immediately, firmly reminding them of what he'd said earlier.

Though both of the lovebirds tried to appear severely chastised and apologetic, they couldn't keep their happy ear-to-ear grins from their faces, nor could they stop their coy, blushing peeks at one another.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Pops ploughed on. "You can't go into each other's rooms at night," he began, causing the both of them to blush - it was clear, just from the tone of his voice, that he'd known of Temperance's late night visits to Booth's room in the past. "And, in the day time, if you're upstairs, the door stays open at all times. You hear me?"

Receiving nods from both teenagers, Pops continued, "I don't want any funny business in the house. You can go on dates, but I don't want to be lied to. So no more 'hanging out with friends' or anything. If you're going on a date, I want to know when, where, what time you'll be back. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yes."

Pops eyed them both with narrowed eyes, as though he was trying to either see if they were telling the truth or intimidate the truth out of them if they weren't.

Finally, seeing something that satisfied him, Pops nodded, relenting, and sighed. "Alright, that's it," he said, slapping his hands on his thighs and pushing himself up from his seat. "It's late and I want to get to bed."

Seeing the relieved look on Booth's face, and clearly not happy with the smug look in his eyes, Pops frowned at Booth and Temperance. "Don't think you're completely off the hook," he warned. "We'll talk more tomorrow morning. This is a serious situation. You two need to understand that."

"We do, Pops," Booth assured him. When his grandfather didn't relent, Booth simply nodded, accepting. "But we'll talk. Tomorrow."

Pops watched the two of them with hawk eyes, making their way towards the stairs with their hands clasped together, a small multi-colored paper bag hanging off of Booth's wrist.

"Pops," Booth called out, halting in his steps and turning back around to face Pops though he didn't let go of Temperance's hand. "This thing…No one can know."

Pops pursed his lips, keeping his expression carefully blank.

Nervous, Booth continued. "I mean, there was a reason we kept it a secret, y'know?" he hastened to explain. "Can you…I mean, will you…?"

Taking pity on the boy, Pops sighed, shaking his head. "As long as you two don't break any of my rules," Pops said in a strict, warning tone. "I won't tell."

Booth's eyebrows shot straight up to his hairline. _I didn't expect that_, he commented silently. "Really? You will?"

Pops nodded. "I'll keep it a secret," he promised. "Just…Be careful, okay? It's not a time to fool around here, Shrimp."

It was the first time that Pops had called him that since before they left for their date, and this seemed to be some sort of unspoken message that passed between the two Booth men. A positive message at that, since the corners of Booth's lips lifted slightly in a small smile, mirrored exactly on the older man's face.

"I will," Booth agreed. They shared another meaningful silence, paired with a meaningful glance, before Booth turned back around, tugging gently on Temperance's hand. "C'mon, Bones. Let's go to sleep."

"In separate beds, in separate rooms," Pops instructed firmly.

"Pops!" Booth hissed, even his ears turning red. "We _know_ that! _Jeez!_"

Just as Booth and Temperance were about to head up, Temperance tugged her hand free. She ran back towards Pops, slamming into him hard enough to make him grunt in surprise, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Stunned, Pops raised his head to meet Booth's equally surprised expression. Unsure of what to do, he let his paternal instincts take charge. He wrapped his arms around Temperance to return her hug, and patted her back comfortingly.

After a few long moments of silence, Temperance spoke, her words slightly muffled by his shirt. "I am not a bad child," she insisted. "I'm a good person."

Pops looked down just in time to catch her blue eyed gaze as she pulled away from him. "I know you're not," he assured her softly, his tone and expression affirming his words.

"I will try my best not to be a burden," Temperance continued, her eyes still watery from before.

She couldn't express to Pops, even if she tried, just how immensely grateful she was for everything he'd done for her, everything he was doing for her. She couldn't even begin to make him understand just how thankful she was that he was allowing her not only to stay, but to hold onto the happiest piece of her present.

Pops smiled at her kindly, grasping her chin with gentle fingers. "You're not a burden, sweetheart," he informed her, his tone slightly scoffing as though the very idea was ludicrous. Seeing that she was at least composed enough to accept his words at face value, he urged, "Now go on. Go to bed. We'll talk tomorrow."

Temperance sniffled slightly, leant up on tip-toes to kiss his cheek and headed back to Booth, smiling in a shy, embarrassed sort of way. Their hands sought each other out immediately, and the two shared an affectionate grin.

"'night, Pops," Booth threw over his shoulder.

"Goodnight, Pops," Temperance echoed, leading Booth up the stairs.

"Night," Pops kept his eye on them until they disappeared from his line of sight. "And I'll be checking on you two later so don't be sneakin' nowhere!" he called up the stairs.

For a long moment after Booth and Temperance had disappeared up the stairs, Pops simply stood where he was, feeling the exhausting effects of the night crashing down on him. When he finally moved, sucking in a huge lungful of air before letting it out slowly in a loud exhale, he shook his head.

"Teenagers," he muttered to himself, though he had to admit, even if it was just to himself, that he admired their courage to do something as outrageous as following their hearts even in the face of a huge risk.

Stretching his weary limbs, Pops made his way to switch off the living room light before climbing up the stairs. He let out a loud yawn, his eyes fluttering. He grumbled a little when he reminded himself to check on Booth and Temperance before turning in for the night.

_I probably have to check in on them a lot more now_, he thought to himself. _And I probably shouldn't spend so much time out of the house_…

Climbing the stairs carefully, Pops made plans to maybe call Mrs. Bink on Sunday and invite her over instead.

_Hey, if Shrimp can take a risk, so can I_.

* * *

><p>By the way, the meaning of the flowers:<p>

Daisies: Innocence, loyal love, 'I'll never tell'.

Daffodils: Joy, happiness, 'you're the only one'.

Phlox: Unanimity, united hearts, united souls.

Tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading!

Juliet.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>May 28, 1991<em>.

"If you're just going to hang out, why can't I come?" Jared asked stubbornly, arms crossed over his chest, eyes glaring daggers at his older brother.

Booth sighed exasperatedly as he regarded Jared. "Because you're too young," he snapped.

"Tempe's younger than you," he pointed out.

Pops, who had been watching the exchange with mild amusement, decided to step in.

It had been over three weeks since he had caught Booth and Temperance necking out on the porch, and over three weeks since they'd had their serious talk regarding this secret relationship of theirs. And while it had been very tense for the first couple of days, Pops had grown to notice that both kids stayed relatively good within the boundaries he'd set. They weren't troublemakers, just following their hearts. He had let up, bit by bit, and had even come to terms with this development, fully.

Sure, he had to admit even now that things would be a whole lot simpler if Booth and Temperance weren't dating each other, but he trusted them both. That trust had taken a hit when he'd discovered them sneaking around behind his back, but he felt like they'd regained it back now. They didn't lie, just like they'd promised, and they weren't as out of control as Pops knew teenagers these days could be.

Which was why, when twelve year old Jared decided that he wanted to hang out with Booth and Temperance, since Booth had claimed they were going out to celebrate the end of exams and Jared could celebrate that too, Pops took pity on the older boy and intervened.

"Jar-head, let 'em be, will ya?" Pops said, shaking his head. "You probably don't want Seeley to hang out with your friends, either."

"No," Jared agreed, somewhat reluctantly. "But Tempe's my friend, too."

Booth rolled his eyes. _Yeah, because that crush of yours isn't totally transparent_, he jibed sarcastically. "Whatever, Jar," he muttered. "Hang out with her another time. Tonight, it's just me and her, okay?"

Jared scowled at Booth, "You suck, Seeley."

Booth shook his head. _Little brothers - what're you gonna do?_

The light, almost inaudible footsteps alerted him to Temperance's presence. Turning around, he saw her entering the kitchen, wearing one of those pretty knee-length dresses she only ever wore on their dates, a silky sash tied around her waist.

She beamed at him as she entered the kitchen, though she made no move to go anywhere near him, and he didn't move forward to kiss her like he wanted to. Despite Pops' knowledge of their relationship, Jared was still clueless, as was everyone else. Besides, as much as Pops had let up regarding their relationship this past month, neither Booth nor Temperance thought it wise to push their luck by being affectionate with each other around him.

"You two be careful, alright?" Pops said before either of them could say anything. "And be back by nine thirty."

Booth pulled a face, Pops' statement enough to pull his attention away from Temperance. "Aw, Pops," he grumbled.

Pops shook his head. "It's a school night, Shrimp," he reminded his grandson. Then, looking at Booth's crestfallen expression and remembering how he had been told that Booth was taking Temperance out to celebrate their 'one month anniversary', Pops shook his head, biting back an amused smile. "Ten, latest," he relented.

Temperance nodded, not wanting to anger her guardian. She had a feeling she was already pushing it by dating his grandson. "Ten sounds fine," she agreed. Booth shot her a partially disgruntled look, but even he couldn't really be all that annoyed. Not tonight.

It wasn't until they were seated in his car that Booth felt it was safe enough from any wandering eyes to lean across the console and kiss Temperance. "Happy one month anniversary," he grinned as he pulled away.

Temperance rolled her eyes, even as she smiled uncontrollably back at him. "Booth, it's ridiculous to celebrate our monthly anniversaries," she told him in a voice that was meant to sound stern but came out sounding soft and teasing instead.

"No, it's not."

"So, what, we're just going to celebrate the twenty-eighth of every month?"

He chortled happily as he started the engine. "Yep!"

Temperance rolled her eyes, buckling her seat belt. To her surprise, however, Booth didn't immediately pull out of the driveway. Instead, he twisted his upper body around and reached in the backseat. When he settled back in his seat, she noticed that he had a small bouquet of colorful wildflowers in his hand.

"I picked them from the lake," he told her, blushing madly as he thrust the bouquet in her hands.

She smiled, ducking her head to inhale the sweet scent of the flowers. Since she was constricted by the seatbelt, she reached out, tugging Booth gently towards her by his collar. "Thank you," she murmured against his mouth, her fingers brushing his cheek in a loving caress. She pulled away with his bottom lip caught gently between her teeth. She sucked it once, twice, and released it with a pop.

Booth took Temperance to her absolute favorite pizza parlor - a place called 'Sammy's'.

"Booth, I can't believe you brought us here!" Temperance said, as soon as she saw the neon sign. She turned to face him in her seat, her eyes sparkling so brightly it almost hurt to look into them. "My parents used to bring me and Russ here."

She had loved going to Sammy's as a child. It was a cozy little establishment that probably didn't receive as much customers as chain restaurants did, but it had great food and she liked the colorful people who owned the restaurant. They seemed very entertaining. She had been going to Sammy's since before she could even remember.

It had been just another loss when her parents and Russ had disappeared. She remembered feeling a painful pang in her chest the very first Saturday after her whole world had changed drastically. She'd holed up under the covers, staying in bed at the group home she'd been placed in, crying because she knew that she wouldn't be going to have pizza with her parents and her brother and she missed that so much, missed them more than she could possibly imagine.

Seeing the sign, the cute little shop, the red and white awning outside the restaurant…It was like nothing had changed. It brought her a nostalgic feeling and a small smile crept across her face as she stared at it.

Booth nodded, a large smile on his face and a heart-swelling pride coursing through his body at the thought that he had managed to make her this happy somehow. "I know," he chuckled. "You told me on our first date, remember?"

She _did_ remember. They had been talking of memories, of happier moments of a past that was so darkened now. He had told her of a fishing trip he had taken with Jared and their father, one of the very few memories he had of his old man that hadn't involved alcohol and swinging fists and harsh words.

She'd told him of 'Pizza Saturdays', a tradition that had lasted in her family for twelve years - her childhood home had been just around the corner from Sammy's, and they'd made it a point to spend part of Saturday evenings at the pizza parlor, just to spend time as family. Russ hadn't been so fond it when he'd reached adolescence, but their mother had insisted. 'It's important to remember to be a family,' she'd said again and again. 'Even the strongest of bonds slip sometimes. We have to remember to work on them always. Tighten them.'

Temperance nodded. "I do, but I can't believe you remembered," she teased, laughing when he pretended to be offended by that.

They walked into Sammy's hand in hand, their entwined fingers swinging back and forth. Booth kept smiling at her, which she was familiar with but wasn't used to if that made any sense at all, so she kept blushing every time she caught him with that tender look in his chocolate eyes and a soft smile on his face as he gazed at her.

"Tempe!" a vaguely familiar, roughened voice called out. Booth tensed minimally next to her but Temperance merely looked around curiously for the source. "Tempe Brennan!"

The source, as it turned out, happened to be a man in his forties. He was portly, and his beefy appearance would seem intimidating except for the large friendly grin on his face. He wore a red and white striped apron that said 'Sammy's' on it.

"Holy crap, it is you!" the man said as they drew nearer. "Oi! Sal! It's Tempe Brennan!"

"Who?" they heard a female voice call out from the back.

Temperance shifted uncomfortably, ducking her head when she realized that most of the patrons of Sammy's were looking at them now.

"_Tempe. Brennan_," the man stressed, his voice turning frustrated. "You remember."

"Johnny, how many times I gotta tell you not to scream when we got people in here!" the female voice replied, growing louder by the second, footsteps telling Booth and Temperance that whomever she was, was approaching them. A few seconds later, a thin, willowy blonde woman, the same age as Johnny probably, turned up from a door leading to the back. "You sound like some crackpot jacka-"

The woman stopped talking when her eyes landed on Temperance. Her jaw hung open for a few seconds. "Little baby Tempe?"

Temperance fought the urge to scowl at that. "Hello, Sally," she smiled weakly at the woman. "Hello, Johnny."

"Holy crap," Sally said.

"That's what I said," Johnny chuckled. "Well, I'll be damned. We haven't seen you around for years. What happened?"

"Found a better place, I expect?" Sally sniffed, a little miffed, even as she led the two teenagers to an empty window booth. "I didn't think you Brennans would sell out to chain monsters."

Temperance stared at Sally, confused. "I…Don't know what that means," she said finally, sliding into the booth opposite her date.

"Where your parents at, Tempe?" Johnny asked her curiously, placing two menus on their table.

Booth, who had been watching this whole exchange in amusement, suddenly started. His gaze drifted towards Temperance, who looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Um, you know…" he said, about to cut in, but Temperance interrupted.

"Actually," she said, shooting Booth a look. She was grateful to him for wanting to spare her this discussion, but she supposed she had to tell Johnny and Sally. They were, at least, friendly enough that she didn't mind revealing her parents' disappearance to them. After all, she had known them for a long time, seen them regularly for twelve years. She gave Booth a small smile before directing her attention to the two restaurateurs. "My parents disappeared a few years back."

"What!"

"Yes," Temperance tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, clearing her throat. "They disappeared in the middle of the night. Christmas."

Sally's smile slipped from her face completely and Johnny made the sign of the cross with his hand. "Holy…" Sally breathed. "And here I was thinkin' the worst of 'em…"

Her expression morphed into one of deep sympathy as she looked at Temperance. "You and your brother doing okay?"

Temperance shrugged. "I'm fine," she murmured. As nice as Johnny and Sally were, she didn't feel like she could tell them everything. She certainly didn't feel like explaining about Russ' absence, and her current living arrangement with her boyfriend's family. It was much too complicated and she just wasn't sure she could trust them with that, as well.

Johnny looked like he wanted to ask more but Sally seemed to understand that they should probably leave her alone about that.

"Alright, then," she said. "I'll just go bring you two some drinks."

"A coke, please."

"And a glass of water."

Sally left, though Johnny stuck around. Booth was worried that he would continue asking Temperance about her parents' disappearance. Temperance had already grabbed hold of one of the menus and was skimming through it, not paying any attention to Johnny at all. Booth kept one wary eye on Johnny, grabbing his own menu. To his surprise, Johnny seemed to be studying him instead of Temperance.

"You two on one of them dates, then?" Johnny asked, his tone curious.

Temperance's porcelain face immediately flamed, going so red that she felt like asking Sally for ice to cool her too-hot cheeks. "Johnny!" she hissed, eyes round in shock that he'd actually ask that.

Johnny gave her a deceptively innocent look in return. "What! I was just askin'!"

Booth coughed uncomfortably before nodding slightly, his own ears burning. "Yeah," he answered on an awkward mutter. "We're, uh, we're on a date."

Johnny nodded, adopting a stern persona. "Now, listen here, buddy. Tempe's a special one, you hear?"

"Ugh, Johnny!" Temperance interrupted, blushing even madder now, slapping a hand to her forehead when Johnny ignored her and continued.

"I've known her since she was a droolin', diaper-wearin' little ankle biter…"

Booth held in his amused snort of laughter to spare his girlfriend what little dignity she had left, though his brown eyes twinkled with laughter as they caught her baby blues.

"Oh, Johnny," Sally chided, glaring at her husband. "Leave them be, huh?" She placed Booth's coke and Temperance's water in front of them.

Johnny shrugged as he returned Sally's glare with an indignant stare. "What? I was just telling him," he jerked his thumb in Booth's direction. "You know, Matt - her daddy, he was - he was a real good man. Teacher."

Booth nodded, "I know."

"And a real good tipper, too," Johnny said, eyes wide and thumbs hooked in his apron pockets, a meaningful look sent Booth's way as though he was giving him some sort of a message.

Booth bit back a smile, nodding. "Gotcha."

Sally rolled her eyes, grabbing Johnny by the arm roughly. "Holler when you wanna order," she told Booth and Temperance, smiling at them kindly before dragging Johnny away from the table, the two of them bickering not-so-quietly the whole way away.

Temperance, whose skin still resembled the color of a lobster, lowered her hand from her face slowly. "I'm really sorry," she whispered to Booth, embarrassed beyond belief. "I sort of forgot how…_Colorful_ they can be."

Booth let out a small laugh, waving her apology away. "Ah, forget it," he assured her. "Besides…It was pretty amusing."

Temperance rolled her eyes and smacked Booth on the arm gently. He laughed louder, harder, this time.

Booth noticed that, as they ate, Temperance kept looking around the parlor nervously. "Something on your mind, Bones?" he asked finally, as they were fighting for the last slice of the Hawaiian pizza.

Temperance blinked, turning back to look at Booth. "What?" He repeated his question, prompting her to nod her head immediately. "No. No, I'm good."

He raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" he didn't sound like he believed her. "You seem distracted."

Blushing, she mentally chided herself - of course Booth would notice. He was probably the most observant person she knew when it came to reading people, besides Pops of course. "I just…I'm worried we might run into someone here," she admitted in a hushed tone. "We're not all that far from our neighborhood."

He tilted his head to side, a look of concern and understanding crossing his features. He reached his hand across the table and grasped hers, squeezing her delicate fingers. "I know you're worried," he murmured quietly. "I totally understand. But you've gotta let up, babe."

"Don't call me babe," she immediately lashed out, a warning look in her eyes he completely ignored.

"We're on a date," he reminded her gently. "It's our first month anniversary-"

"-Which is a silly thing to celebrate," she interrupted. Seeing the upset frown on his face, she added hastily, "But I understand and appreciate the sentiment."

A soft smile spread across his lips and he shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Right," he chuckled. "Let's forget about the rest of the world. Just be us together."

She wasn't entire too sure what that meant, but she wasn't entirely too sure that she _didn't_ know, either. So she beamed widely at him, nodded and squeezed his hand back.

Their dinner was only interrupted a few times - not by nosey, shocked schoolmates, like Temperance had feared, but by Sally and Johnny, both of whom enthusiastically insisted that Temperance and Booth _both_ returned to their restaurant soon. Of course, Johnny's warmth towards Booth might've been influenced by the tip he'd left along with the money to pay for their meal.

"Okay, we've got Back to the Future, Back to the Future 2 and Back to the Future 3," Booth said, flipping through the movie covers as they walked out of the rental store. "And Pretty In Pink."

"Pretty In Pink?"

"Yeah, well, it's a romantic film and I'm not normally a fan," he admitted. "But it's our anniversary so I thought a certain level of mushiness is appropriate."

Temperance laughed, shaking her head, as she linked her arm through his, pressing her other hand on his upper arm as they walked back towards his car. "We're really going to watch four movies in one night?"

He nodded firmly. "Yes, definitely," he replied. "We're having a marathon. We have to watch more than two movies, _at least_."

She knew it would be pointless to argue so she merely leaned up and kissed his cheek fondly. She tugged at his arm as they passed by a grocery store. "Ooh, can we go in for a minute?" she asked him. "We're out of Rocky Road and if we're watching three movies tonight, I'm going to need Rocky Road."

He chuckled, loving her sparkling eyes. "Sure," he shrugged. "We need snacks, anyway."

They got her Rocky Road ice cream, and a ton of other junk food that she protested about getting even after he'd paid for it (another thing she argued with him about).

Pops was in the living room when they got back to the house, watching a baseball game recap. "Hey," he smiled as they walked in.

"Where's Jared?" were the first words out of Booth's mouth. He had already told Pops about his plans for the night, including their movie night at home. Pops had promised to get Jared out of the way, and Booth had absolutely no desire whatsoever to have his little brother intrude on the second half on his date.

Pops chuckled, turning off the TV and tossing the remote on the coffee table. "Don't worry," he assured Booth and Temperance. "I sent him to Mickey's house. He's sleeping over there tonight."

He stood up, his smile fond but warning at the same time anyway. "Now I'm gonna be just upstairs, and I'll be sneaking down here unannounced, at any given time…Countless times," he warned. "So no funny business, you hear me?"

Booth blushed, "Pops!"

Temperance eyed Pops curiously. "Can we at least kiss?" she asked naively.

Booth went bright red. "Bones!" he hissed, slapping his hand to his forehead and palming his face. "For the love of God!"

Temperance's eyes widened considerably. "What?" she asked innocently. "It's a valid question…I mean, we're still on our date. Aren't we?" She turned her head, looking from Booth to Pops and back again. "Aren't we?"

Pops bit back a snort of laughter. "Yeah…I'm heading up," he said dryly. "Remember…"

Booth nodded. "No funny business, got it, Pops," he said quickly, hoping to end this conversation immediately and get rid of his grandfather so he could continue his date. _This is so strange, I've never had a date that takes place in the house before_, he mused.

"Here," Temperance invited as she snuggled into the couch, warm blanket draped over her lap. She lifted the afghan, signaling for him to join her. "Come here."

Booth raised an eyebrow, smirking at her. "Are you a cuddler, Bones?" he teased. "Never pegged you for a cuddler."

Blushing furiously, Temperance scowled at Booth. "I am _not_ a cuddler, Booth," she snapped. She paused before a small smile graced her lips. "Now get here and cuddle with me."

He laughed, slipping in the first Back to the Future video into the player before striding over to the couch, slipping in next to her. Temperance threw the blanket over his lap, as well. He grabbed the bowl of popcorn and she grabbed the pint of Rocky Road. As soon as he pressed 'play', and the movie started playing, the two smiled, snuggling into one another, Booth's arm wrapped around her shoulders.

A moment later, Temperance bit her lip and snuck a look at Booth. "So…I'm sorry, do we actually watch the movies, or make out and pretend to watch the movies when Pops comes downstairs?" she asked in a curious tone.

Booth groaned inwardly. _Obviously, someone needs to tell her how much the libido of a teenage boy is affected whenever a beautiful girl says things like that_, he thought to himself, mentally amusing himself with an image of himself presenting a scientific data to her regarding the subject. _Lord knows she'd only understand it if I put it that way_.

When Temperance reached up to kiss him on the jaw, then snuggled in closer to him, he smiled. _It's a good kind of torture_, he decided, and relaxed into the movie.

* * *

><p><em>June 5, 1991<em>.

"I can't believe Pops let us do this," Temperance muttered for what must've been the hundredth time.

She had been surprised earlier in the day when, after their lunch, Booth had 'kidnapped' her (in his words, not hers), Pops waving at them from the porch as he sat with Mrs. Bink, and telling them to be careful and to have 'no funny business'. She supposed that was his favorite phrase because he said it quite a lot.

Booth had refused to tell her where they were going, instead blaring music in the car. She had been surprised to learn later that he had packed a small bag for her - he had blushed and stuttered adorably about having to go through her wardrobe, and was so embarrassed when he mentioned that he barely looked at any of her 'under things' that she only laughed at him for a minute or so.

Finally, about four hours into the drive, they arrived at Galena.

There, they had checked into the Bear Ridge Lodge, into a room with two beds ("I didn't want to assume anything, or um, you know, have _you_ assume that _I_ assumed anything…Because I'm not assuming anything. We're just sleeping. Here. In this room. Two beds. See?") where Booth had finally told her his surprise.

Or part of it anyway.

He wanted to 'camp out' and, apparently, Galena, Illinois was the closest place he could make that happen.

Booth shrugged, chuckling. "Well, it's the summer holidays," he pointed out, just as he had countless times before on the trip in an attempt to get her to loosen up.

Temperance narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Still…That's a lot of trust he's putting in us," she commented.

There had been a lot of phone calls back home, of course, something that Pops had been insistent on - they called using the pay phone when they stopped twice during their journey, and another time when they reached the lodge.

The lodge was owned by a couple of Pops' friends from way back when. Pops used to take his wife, Booth's grandmother, to Galena all the time and they had made friends with the owners of the lodge. Pops had taken Booth and Jared to Galena more than once, as well, which was how Booth knew where to take Temperance for this particular trip.

What neither of them knew was that Pops had asked his old friends to be as nosey as possible without getting a restraining order set against them, to keep an eye out on his grandson and his girlfriend. It wasn't that he didn't trust Booth and Temperance, it was just that they were still teenagers, they were still in a romantic relationship, and Pops still had to be somewhat careful.

She was nevertheless surprised that he had allowed them to go on an overnight trip together. For all he knew, they could be lying and doing much more inappropriate things that whatever she was sure Booth had planned.

_Then again_, she thought to herself. _Booth was a trustworthy person. He wouldn't lie like that_.

"He doesn't have a reason not to trust us," he replied, his hand tightening on hers as they reached his intended destination. "We're here."

Temperance looked around, smiling as she took note of the peaceful surrounding. They were at a lake of some sort, bigger than the one they frequented back in Chicago, and incredibly beautiful. It was rural Illinois, so there were the greenest trees around, and grassy plains laid out in front of them, something she hadn't ever seen before in real life.

Booth released her hand and went to lay down a blanket on the grass. "I thought we could have a picnic out here," he said, plopping down on the ground, putting the wicker basket full of food in front of him. He smiled at her, patting the spot next to him.

She grinned shyly, still completely unused to having anyone doing special little things like these for her. She wondered if all boyfriends were as romantic (or, in his words, 'mushy') as Booth was.

Temperance sat down delicately next to him, much more graceful than he had been, folding her legs underneath her. "Well, this place is beautiful," she admitted, her eyes roving over the darkened plains before turning to look at Booth. "But why did we have to drive all the way up here?"

Booth grinned, glad that her unusually keen eyes hadn't yet picked up on what he really wanted her to see. He leaned in closer to her, as though he was about to kiss her, making her eyes go wide, her lips parting in anticipation. He stopped, his mouth barely an inch away from hers. "Look up, Bones," he murmured softly.

Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, her cheeks still flushed pink, and she tilted her head back. He had the pleasure of hearing her gasp and watching as her eyes sparkled brightly as she caught sight of the cluster of starts sprinkled all over the dark sky.

"Wow…" she breathed.

She stared up at the sky for the longest time, entranced by the stars. The only other time she had seen stars like these - so bright, so many - was when her father had taken her to the planetarium when she was eight.

This was different, though.

They were surrounded by nature, the smell of fresh air - air that didn't quite smell the same as it did in Chicago - invading their senses, the slight trickling sound of water from the lake reaching their ears…And Booth had been the one to do this for her. It made all the difference in the world.

"Booth…This is-"

But the moment she had dropped her head to look at him once more, his lips were on hers, silencing her. Her entire body stiffened in shock for a brief fraction of a second before she was responding enthusiastically, her arms going around his neck, fingers sliding into his hair, trying her best to suppress her moan of pleasure when his fingertips pressed into her hips, pulling her closer to him.

Temperance pulled back first, since Booth had absolutely no problem kissing her forever. She was beaming widely, her blue eyes darker than usual. One of his hands reached up, brushing at her cheek, his heart thudding painfully in his chest at just how _so damn beautiful_ she was.

"This was a really great surprise," she whispered, almost giddy with happiness that Booth would go to such lengths for their date.

He grinned impishly at her. "Really?" he murmured, his forehead dropping to gently press against hers.

"Really."

She laughed loudly, throwing her head back, when Booth gave a playful growl and gently pushed her back so that she was laying flat on her back on the blanket. He hovered over her, his lips finding hers once more.

She wasn't sure how or even why, but even though their kisses were passionate, they laughed happily in between each meeting of their lips. Their hands were a little more adventurous, sliding underneath clothes and drifting over smooth torso and tangling in silky hair and running over long, lean legs. They didn't go further, however, both seeming to have an unspoken agreement on how far things could go at the moment.

"Alright, get off me," she said finally, breaking their kiss and pushing at his shoulder gently. He moaned his disapproval and tried to kiss her again. When she turned her head, he dropped his lips to her jaw instead, peppering soft kisses all the way down her jawbone to her ear.

She giggled in a surprising girlish manner, pushing him off once more. "I'm serious, Booth," she said, sounding the exact opposite. "I'm hungry and I want to eat."

And, of course, food was the only thing that could pull him away from kissing her. Just barely. "Fine," he relented with a sigh. He didn't want her to starve, anyway. "But the moment you're done - I'm going to kiss you again."

She pretended that it would be a great sacrifice for her. "Well, if you have to," she said in a long suffering sort of tone. "I guess I can deal with that."

Temperance laughed and ducked as a strawberry sailed her way.

They were away from home, so he couldn't make anything homemade, but they'd gone to the grocery store in town after they'd settled in and they had gotten some pretty good stuff. There had been a lot of fresh fruits on sale, something Temperance had insisted on when he'd explained that they were buying food for a picnic. He'd indulged her, buying her some strawberries and apples. They had chips and soda, and had gone next door to the diner to buy some sandwiches and pie - and mousse, since Temperance hated pie.

"This is so good," Booth moaned as he bit into his pie.

Temperance chuckled at his enthusiasm, tilting her head back to look up at the stars. "Do you think we can see Delphinus?"

"Sure," he nodded, eyes wide. "If I knew what that was."

She shot him a half amused look before putting aside her empty dessert takeaway box and laying on her back. Booth joined her, Temperance staring at the stars, Booth entranced by her.

Temperance grinned at him, enjoying yet another moment when she knew something he did - he was far more superior than she was when it came to everyday, social situations, so it was nice when she could be the one to teach him. "It's a constellation," she explained. "It looks like a dolphin…" Her expression softened considerably, remembering her mother's love for the friendly creatures. "My mom loved dolphins," she let out a laugh, causing a sad smile to break out on Booth's lips. "When my dad brought me to the planetarium, and he taught me all about Delphinus, it became my favorite constellation."

"Aw," Booth teased. "Only you would be geeky enough to have a favorite constellation."

Temperance looked at him, mock shock playing on her features. "Hey!" she protested, smacking him on the chest. "Plenty of people have favorite constellations, thank you very much, and none of us are geeks."

"Okay, whatever you say, Bones…"

She shook her head, turning her gaze back to the stars. Raising her hand, she pointed to the constellations with her finger, Booth giving her his own interpretation of how the stars looked ("Nah, that one looks more like a sheep to me…")

Finally, when the sky was starting to lighten just the slightest, the starts starting to fade from view, Temperance turned her head from where she laid on the ground. Booth must have sensed her eyes on him because he, too, turned to look at her, smiling happily at her despite how tired his eyes looked.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she said softly. "And staying out here with me all night."

He chuckled. "Ah…It's no problem, Bones," he said. "It was worth seeing you smile."

His words made her go bright red, and she scowled at him despite the tumbling feeling in her tummy. Or, perhaps because of it. She wasn't quite sure. "Why do you always do that?" she asked him.

"Do what?"

She exhaled loudly. "You always say these things…And do all these sweet things…" her tone was slightly accusing. "It makes me blush."

"Bones, I do these things because I think you're the most beautiful, most amazing girl in the world," he answered her seriously. "You deserve someone who would do these things for you, make you feel happy. But you picked me instead…"

She laughed a little at his joke.

"…So I do what I can," his eyes twinkled mischievously as he added, "And maybe I just like seeing you flustered."

A gasp left her lips and she went to smack his chest against when his hand caught hers, fingers twining gently with hers. Her scowl turned into a smile as she fell into their tender moment, their entwined arms resting against his chest, their fingers curled together at the base of his throat. Their faces turned towards one another, they scooted closer together, lips fusing together sweetly.

Their lips brushed together once, twice, thrice, before they broke apart, smiling happily at one another.

"I'm happy," she murmured, as though trying to assure him.

His smile grew. "Good."

Moving as though in synchronicity, they leaned in again, their kiss more passionate. His hand smoothing through her hair, Booth found himself so caught up in their kiss, so hungry for more, that he could barely hold onto what little coherent thoughts he might have left. Rolling over her, he pinned her below him, feeling her laughter reverberate against his lips, their mouths not parting even for a second as he'd moved.

His hands slipped underneath her shirt, tracing over every inch of smooth flesh, kneading and caressing. For the first time, the fact that it wasn't enough sent him reeling, his mind going blank. He pulled away from her for a moment and she whimpered, arms tightening around his neck and trying to drag him back down to her. He resisted, however, and her eyes fluttered open.

There was a look in his eyes, a look filled with desire that sent her pulse racing and her heart thudding madly. She realized that his fingers were gripping the hem of her shirt now. Realizing his intention, she blushed a bright red. A sudden bout of self consciousness overwhelmed her for a moment before she bit her lip, nodding her assent.

He lifted the shirt off her body, his breath catching at the expanse of pretty pale skin he'd been denied before. His fingertips caressed the silky skin of her torso as he leaned back down, capturing her lips with his. It didn't take long for their passion to re-ignite, fogging up his mind as she enveloped him - her heady scent, the feel of her soft skin, the way her limbs locked around him, pulling him closer, hands tugging up his own shirt and exploring the bare skin of his back.

"Ooh, we've gotta stop," Booth whispered harshly, almost whimpering. They had been kissing for God knows how long, wrapped up in each other's embrace for what could've been hours for all they knew. "We've gotta stop, baby."

"Why?" she complained. Other than the fact that they were on a field and the sky was starting to lighten and people would probably be milling about town soon, she couldn't find a single reason why they shouldn't just continue.

He allowed himself to be pulling in by her drugging kisses, but when his fingers started to trail up her almost completely bare back and plucked at the clasp of her bra without conscious thought, he knew he had to pull away before they did something neither was really ready for just yet, too controlled by their raging emotions to stop.

In what had to be the most painfully difficult moment he'd ever encountered with a girl, he forced himself away from her. "We've gotta stop," he said again, breathing hard as he rolled off of her and laid on his side next to her.

She wanted to complain but rational thoughts seemed to come back to her, agreeing with Booth completely. Not only were they in public, they were also not quite ready to go further. Not emotionally and not practically. Complications could arise if they went forward with it right then and there.

Nodding and letting her head fall back against the blanket, she attempted to control her own harsh breathing. "You're right," she said softly when her heart was finally beating normally once more.

With shy smiles that contradicted their actions just five minutes ago, they both grabbed their respective shirts and threw them on. They laid back down on the blanket, staring up at the last of the stars up in the sky.

A few long moments later, as though they'd both called out each other's names in their minds and had heard it telepathically, they turned their heads to look at one another. Small smiles grew into wide, beaming grins that spread from ear to ear.

They laid there together, side by side on their blanket in the grassy plains, kissing as chastely as they could until dawn broke, reds and yellows chasing away the darkness, and with it the bright stars.

* * *

><p><em>June 28, 1991<em>.

"I'm really not good on ice," Temperance warned as she almost slipped for the tenth time in the past minute.

Booth chuckled. He was beginning to see that - they had just gotten onto the rink despite all of Temperance's protests about how she was too clumsy a person to be on any icy surface, and he was starting to agree with her. "Don't worry," he said anyway, one hand gripping hers tightly, the other arm wrapped protectively around her waist. "I've got you. I won't let you fall."

She gave him a thankful smile, interrupted only by yet another near fall. "Ugh, dammit!" she cursed.

Booth laughed loudly, attracting the attention of a few people passing them by on skates. "Come on, it's not that hard," he urged her gently.

This time, she threw him a dirty look. "Well, I'm sorry, but not all of us are athletic, Booth!"

"Clearly. Ow! Bones…" he shook his head. "Okay, okay, here…C'mere, just don't think too much about it…Just hold my hand, and go gently…Just like that, see?" he grinned at her. "Not too bad, huh?"

"Not _too_ bad," she agreed reluctantly.

Of course, by the time an hour passed, she was skating all on her own, even doing a little slow spin on the ice. "Steep learning curve," she boasted with a cute little smug smile.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You do realize that I'm better than you, right?" he asked her. "I play ice hockey all the time."

She pouted at him unintentionally. "I'm boosting my morale," she chided him. "Hush."

He chuckled, reaching out to take her hand, "Well, this isn't the most romantic date ever, but…"

"Why does every one of our dates have to be romantic?" she questioned. "It could just be fun."

"So you admit this is fun?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, yes, this is fun," she grumbled, biting back her own smile. "Sheesh."

Their entwined hands were swinging back and forth between them, and he lifted their hands so he could brush a kiss to the back of hers. "Not every date has to be romantic," he agreed. "But today's special. It's our anniversary."

Temperance raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, for God's sake, Booth," she said exasperatedly. "We've been over this. While our first month anniversary had been very sweet, we can't celebrate every month. It…We'd go bankrupt if we do."

"Not we, just me," he corrected. "I'm the guy. I pay."

"Neanderthal."

He chuckled. "As I was saying," he gave her a look, prompting her to pretend to lock her lips together and throw the key away. "This might not be the most romantic date ever, but I got you a present. You know, to make up for it."

"Booth!" she seemed happy but shocked at the same time. "You shouldn't splurge on me."

He shook his head. "I wanted to," he insisted, pulling her gently over towards the side railing of the ice rink so that they could both lean against it while he pulled out a long, thin rectangular box. "Here. Happy 2nd month anniversary," he handed the box to her and bent to press a soft kiss to her cheek.

She accepted the gift with a happy little smile. "Thank you," she said, deciding to tack on, "Even though '2nd month anniversary' doesn't exist," at the end.

He rolled his eyes and waited for her to open her gift. Once she lifted the lid of the box, she gasped. He had gotten her a charm bracelet, tiny little silver dolphins with a single diamond eye each hanging from the chain, small freshwater pearls in between each dolphin. She looked up, her eyes embarrassingly filled with tears.

Booth reached out, smiling softly as he tenderly wiped at the corners of her eyes with his thumb. "I remembered what you said, about your mom, and the dolphins, and the constellation…I thought it was appropriate," he said with a slight, sheepish shrug and a look of concern on his face as he tried to gauge if her tears were due to happiness or sadness.

His doubt over whether she liked her gift were erased completely when she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, her nose buried into the side of his neck. "Booth…This is…" words failed her, rendering her unable to articulate just how much she loved his gift. "It's beautiful, Booth. Thank you so much."

"You like it?" he asked.

"I love it," she pulled away, smiling brightly up at him and leaning up to give him a kiss. "Thank you."

He nodded, reaching for the bracelet. "Do you…?"

She grinned, nodding. "Yes," she answered his unfinished question, watching as he lifted the bracelet out of its velvet box and draped it over her slender wrist, fastening the clasp. It was slightly loose around her thin wrist, but it was safe. She would make sure it was kept safe.

Booth felt his heart swell slightly as he watched Temperance - her gaze was fixed on the bracelet, a soft smile on her lips as her fingers ran over a tiny silver dolphin. It was as though she couldn't tear her eyes away from the bracelet. It was like a silent compliment, a pat on the back, to know how much she enjoyed her gift. It was good to know he'd gotten it right.

She stepped closer to him, their fronts pressing together, sending his heart racing. Her arms went around his neck, fingers brushing at the hairs on the back of his neck gently pushing his head down. "You're a very charming boy," she informed him on a soft sigh.

He chuckled, his strong arms wrapping her up in a warm embrace that was nice in the cool atmosphere of the ice rink. "Well, thank you, Bones," he said teasingly, dropping his head lower so that their mouths brushed, so softly it was like the touch of moth's wing.

Unsatisfied and wanting more, he pressed one hand on her back, splaying out his fingers, and folded his lips over hers. Her breath tasted of the strawberry milkshake she'd had before they'd entered the rink and of the same sweet taste he knew was simply her. Kissing her like this made his heart race, which she could feel, one hand curling over his chest right above his heart, and it made his stomach clench.

They were taking baby steps, he supposed, just like all relationships did. They were getting just a tad more physical with one another, kisses growing longer, hands exploring as much as they dared, bodies pressed closer.

Booth moaned as he felt her soft tongue swiping across his bottom lip before coaxing his lips to part. His hand went up to cup the back of her head, gripping her hair as she kissed him back as roughly as he was kissing her, her fingers curling on his neck, below his jaw, their passion building up.

"Oi!"

Something hit him on the side of his head.

They broke apart, both looking down to see an empty paper cup resting at their feet. They looked up, again simultaneously, to see an angry middle aged woman with two small children hiding behind her, all on ice skates. "Do you mind!" the woman said angrily, hands on her hips. "This is a family establishment. There are kids here."

"Uh…Sorry, ma'am," Booth said sheepishly.

"We got carried away," Temperance added, not really helping their case.

The woman offered them both an angry, disgusted glare before reaching out, grabbing a hand of each of the two children. "Come on, Lester, Bonnie," she said to the two children. "Let's go."

Temperance was pretty sure she heard the woman muttering something about misbehaving delinquents and their abnormal level of hormones as the three skated away. She glared right back at the woman, though she couldn't see it.

Booth, on the other hand, was snickering. "Lester and Bonnie?" he shook his head, an amused smile playing on his lips. "They're _so_ gonna get beaten up at the playground."

Temperance gave him a chiding look. "Booth, don't mock their names," she scolded. "Besides, _our_ names aren't any less unusual, either."

He gave her a charming little grin. "Yeah, but I go by my last name, and I gave you a cool nickname to make up for _your_ lame one," he pointed out. She rolled her eyes at that. "Come on, let's get out of here," he said, taking her hand and leading her towards the exit. "I'm starving."

"But we're coming back soon, right?" she asked, eager now that she knew she had learnt how to skate without tripping much. Maybe she could practice and outdo Booth someday soon.

"Sure, Bones," he smiled, glad that she had taken so well to ice skating. "Anytime you want."

* * *

><p><em>July 15, 1991<em>.

It was one of those rare times when they had the house to themselves.

Jared was out of the house, camping with Mickey and a few other friends, like they did every summer since their move to Chicago. Mickey's dad was a pretty outdoorsy guy and had always been friendly enough to humor his son and his group of friends for a weekend camping trip. He'd been as accepting of Jared as Mickey was.

Pops had gone out with Mrs. Bink. He had been reluctant at first to leave the two of them alone, but Mrs. Bink had reminded him that they hadn't gone anywhere together on a date night for months. Pops had finally relented, reminding himself that he wouldn't be gone too long anyway.

Booth probably would've eased Pops' mind a little if he'd decided to bring Temperance out on a date instead of stay in with her, but they weren't really in a mood to go out.

As it was, they'd just gone to a Goo Goo Dolls concert not two nights ago. It had been great, something they'd both looked forward to and saved up for ever since they read that the band would be playing in Chicago, but tonight all they wanted to do was stay in, maybe watch some TV, cuddle on the couch.

"Bones?" Booth called out, entering the kitchen warily. "What are you doing?"

He had gone upstairs to take a shower, having just returned from an afternoon game with his friends at the riverside court. Temperance hadn't wanted to go, saying that she needed to revise. It amazed him that she still needed to study when it was the summer holidays.

He adored the girl, but sometimes he thought she was a little crazy.

When he'd showered and changed, he'd gone to her room, ready to persuade her to take a break from whatever heavy studying she was doing and at least eat dinner. To his surprise, however, she wasn't in her room. He'd searched until he'd heard something clanging in the kitchen.

In he walked and there she was, standing behind the counter, mixing something in the same bowl she used whenever she made pudding.

His eyebrows shot up to his hairline and a wide grin spread across his lips. "Are you making pudding!" he asked excitedly.

Temperance smiled, raising an eyebrow at him. "You have far too much enthusiasm for pudding, Booth," she clucked her tongue at him.

"It's _pudding_," he said, as though this explained everything.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, I'm not making pudding," she crushed his dream.

"Oh," his face fell. "Then what are you doing? I thought you were on your study binge."

"I'm not on a 'study binge', I just…" she sighed, exhaling.

She hadn't informed Booth that she would be taking more courses once the school semester started once more. She knew she would be incredibly busy and it worried her because with the both of them being so busy, she figured the only times they'd be able to be with each other and not get distracted would be on car rides to and from school.

It irritated her a little to be worried about that when she knew education should be a far higher priority.

But she _was_ worried, and she didn't want Booth to catch on to that and start getting worried himself. They still had a few relatively stress free weeks left and she intended to use their summer to be happy.

She blinked a few times, realizing Booth was still waiting for her to talk. "I needed a break," she said finally. "I thought I'd come down here…I didn't know what you wanted for dinner, but I figured we'd just order in. I had a sudden craving for lava cake, though, so I'm making those."

He had absolutely no idea what lava cake was, and it sounded fairly dangerous, but she was making them and it smelled like heavenly chocolate so he simply nodded. "How about I make us dinner?" he suggested.

Temperance looked at him, shocked. "You know how to cook?" she asked, surprised.

He grinned. "I am a man of many talents, Temperance Brennan," he teased. "Come on, it's the least I can do - you're already making dessert."

She nodded, "Sure, but don't feel like you have to."

He went over to the fridge, checking to see if they had all the ingredients he needed, pulling them out as he went. "My mom made the most amazing meatloaf when I was a kid," he confided in her. "She taught me how to make it - apparently, women like men who can cook."

As she stirred the chocolate, she watched him work. He was as confident in the kitchen as he was outside of it, moving with a grace she was slightly envious of. He didn't hesitate whatsoever as he started chopping and cutting things up.

"It _is_ kind of sexy," she admitted, her cheeks coloring as she realized she'd spoken out loud.

Booth threw her a surprised look over his shoulder before laughing. "Good to know I turn you on, Bones," he joked.

She scowled at him, threatening to withhold all the chocolate goodness from him if he teased her again. He held his hands up, pretending to be shaking with fear as he fake stuttered, promising to be good from now on.

Their night had turned out into an impromptu date night, only instead of dressing up, they wore pajama pants and baggy sweaters. And instead of going out to a restaurant, they had fun cooking together in the kitchen.

"Okay, so this is a family recipe," Booth said as Temperance put in the tray of lava cakes into the oven and set the temperature and timer. "But since I like you so much, I'll share it with you," he joked.

Temperance laughed as she straightened up and walked over to him. "Oh, well, thank you," she played along. "What can I do?"

He pushed the chopping board towards her, gesturing towards the tomatoes he'd taken out of the fridge. "Dice 'em up for me?" he asked her. She nodded, pushing her long sleeves back and doing as he asked.

Temperance wasn't all that great at cooking - her mother had taught her to make a few dishes, but they mostly baked sweet cakes or pastries together since it was a lot of fun to 'experiment'. Besides, her mother always said that even if whatever they tried to bake didn't work out so well, at least they had the sweet ingredients left to snack on, like chocolate chips or bowls of cherries.

She was surprised, however, at how well Booth seemed to work in the kitchen. He wasn't at all insecure about himself, and he worked with a certain level of finesse she had seen him exhibit only out on the basketball court. She struggled during some parts but he flew through smoothly. He wasn't at all frustrated with her, however, and was a patient teacher which she admired.

Finally, after waiting in front of the TV for half an hour for the meatloaf to bake, she and Booth sat down to eat.

"Wait, wait," Booth said, stopping her as she went to grab plates for them. "I'm going to go set the table…Just wait in here until I'm done, okay?"

Temperance raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

He gave her a look. "Just do it," he pleaded in an exasperated tone. "I wanna do something."

Despite the fact that that gave her nothing, she nodded anyway, chuckling as Booth raced away, shouting for her to cut him a really big piece of meatloaf.

Booth went to grab a table cloth, picking out a nicer one than they normally used. It was dark red and would fit in nicely with what he wanted to do. He spread the table cloth over the dining table before rushing towards the hall closet and pulling out a box of candles he knew Pops kept in there in case of emergencies. He lit two candles and placed them on the table.

Grinning, he went back into the kitchen where Temperance was checking on her lava cakes. "They're done, of course, but I kept them in there so they'll be warm when we eat them," she reported, closing the oven door once more and straightening up.

She eyed him curiously when he pulled out two wine glasses Pops kept but he'd never once seen him use. "What's that for?" she asked him warily.

"We're on a date," he announced.

"We are?" she seemed taken aback. "I had no idea…"

He laughed. "Well, we're on an 'at home' date," he shrugged, going to the fridge and pulling out two bottle of grape Snapple.

"I don't know what that means."

He nodded at her to grab the plates of meatloaf - noting in pleasure that she'd cut out a slice big enough to satisfy him for the first round - and took hold of the bottles and the glasses. He turned on his heel and walked out of the kitchen, Temperance following after him. "It means…" he trailed off, letting her see what he'd done to the table. "That we're on a date."

He placed the glasses and the bottles on the table and walked over to the light switches, dimming the lights, then turned on the radio to let some soft jazz music play in the background.

Temperance grinned at him. "We're on a date," she repeated, sounding surprised by that. "We're not dressed right."

He shrugged. "Eh, who's gonna complain?" he waved her observation aside. In a completely cheesy move, he went over to her and held the chair for her as she sat down. She laughed as she thanked him.

"This is so good, Booth," Temperance moaned as she took another bite of the meatloaf he'd made.

He chuckled even as he nodded and chewed. "I know, right?" he swallowed. "My mom used to make this on church days. We ate it every week and as awesome as it was, eating something so often could make you sick of it after a while, you know?"

Temperance nodded, "Sure." She didn't say much, getting the sense that there was more he wanted to say.

She was right.

"But now, you know, she's gone and I haven't made this in ages…It's funny that I miss it all the time now," his voice grew quiet, his smile slipping from his face.

Temperance dabbed at her mouth were napkin as she watched him push his mostly empty plate away from him. She did the same with her plate, silently gazing at him. She wanted to say something to make him feel better, because she understood missing one's parent more than anyone, but she wasn't sure she had the right words.

After a few moments of silence, he raised his head to give her a sad smile. "I miss her," he said finally.

She returned his sad smile and reached out, lacing their fingers together. Leaning forward, she brought his hand up to her lips to press a comforting kiss to the back of it. "I'm sorry, Booth," she whispered, her eyes locked on his.

Booth nodded, sucking in a deep breath. "Thanks, Bones," he murmured.

The sadness that had suddenly overwhelmed him had been completely unexpected. Sure, he hadn't made his mother's infamous meatloaf for quite some time now, and never for anyone other than Jared, but he hadn't expected such a rush of nostalgia to invade him the moment he'd let his guard down.

He couldn't deny, however, that looking into Temperance's beautiful blue eyes was helping him. Somehow, just looking into her eyes, seemed to make him better.

She had eyes that were almost ethereal, in his opinion, and at that moment, those ethereal eyes were looking at him as though they could see right through his soul, his heart, his very being. As though she understood him completely, empathized with him…Shared his pain.

So he took in another haggard breath, not at all surprised to find that it was easier to breathe this time around.

"Okay, you know what?" Temperance said, jumping from her seat and letting go of his hand. "I think it's time for dessert."

Booth blinked, a little startled by her sudden movements. He watched as she started clearing their plates. "Wha…Bones, I'm not done yet," he complained.

"Yes, you are," she insisted. "There's nothing left on this plate except for carrots which you won't eat."

"Well, maybe I wanna eat them, Bones. Did you ever think of that?" There was no heat behind his words, or real anger behind his glare, just a silent gratitude he felt towards her for knowing that he needed her to change the subject without being asked, gratitude that she accepted just as silently.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "Carrots or chocolate, Booth?"

She had him there. He flashed her a charm smile. "At least let me help you clean up," he said, getting out of his seat and taking the plates away from her. She didn't protest, the two of them walking side by side back towards the kitchen.

Temperance flipped through channels, having gained 'ownership' of the remote for the next twenty minutes since Booth was too absorbed by the chocolate lava cakes to really pay any attention. She knew that if it were up to him, they'd either watch another movie where cars exploded or some sports game.

She stopped and flipped back one channel, smiling when she caught sight of the familiar faces of DJ and Stephanie Tanner, bent over a baby Michelle as they spoke to her.

"Reruns of Full House?" Booth didn't look impressed.

She gave him a look. "You said I could choose what we watch," she reminded him.

He snorted. "I was delirious with happiness because of all the chocolate," he dismissed his earlier words. "And I didn't know you'd pick a cheesy sitcom."

She huffed. "I happen to like Full House," she said defensively. "It could be amusing at times… And baby Michelle is adorable."

That elicited an 'aww' from him. "Look at you, being all girly over a baby…" he teased, a goofy grin on his face.

Temperance scowled at him, smacking him on the shoulder. "Shush, Booth!" she scolded gently, pressing her back against the backrest of the couch, shifting until she found a comfortable position and digging into her dessert. "I think this is the one where they all get chickenpox…"

He chuckled, snatching his third lava cake from the coffee table - what could he say? His girlfriend was gifted with chocolate…Just another reason why he was blessed to be dating her - before leaning back next to Temperance.

He kept sneaking looks at her, especially when she let out small chuckles at funny moments of the episode, smiling to himself. _Who knew rational, pop culture deprived Temperance Brennan was a fan of Full House?_

Pops walked Mrs. Bink back to her house across the street before making his way back to his own house. It wasn't all that late, just barely after eleven, but he was still slightly worried about Booth and Temperance.

It wasn't the first time they'd been alone at night.

He had even allowed them to go on an overnight trip to Galena just a few weeks ago. The parental side of him had screamed 'no way in hell' but memories of his own love, a woman who had such a romantic side she could pen novels that were on par with Shakespeare, had wore him down until he'd said 'yes'.

He had provided as much parental supervision as he could considering he wasn't even in the same town as them, but he had the sense that nothing big had happened between the two when they returned to Chicago the next day.

Now, Pops climbed up the porch steps, frowning as he noticed that the lights were mostly dark inside the house. _Boy better not be taking advantage of that girl while I was gone_, he thought to himself, knowing how kids Booth's and Temperance's age were always ruled by their emotions.

Stepping inside the house, however, Pops realized he had nothing to be worried about.

Booth and Temperance were both on the couch in the darkened living room, the TV still on to some random show he didn't recognize. There was a plate of half finished chocolate mini cakes, as far as he could see. Temperance was snuggled into Booth's side, her head resting on his shoulder and he had his arm wrapped around her waist. They were both fast asleep, their eyes closed and their breathing even, Booth's head lolling over the backrest of the couch.

Pops smiled, shaking his head as he closed the door behind him. The slight noise caused Temperance to jump slightly in her sleep though she didn't rouse. Booth snorted in his sleep and his head turned to the other side, facing Temperance, his arm tightening around her.

Pops considered waking them up, but it was as if he could hear the voice of his sweet Marietta in his head, telling him to just let the love birds be. He hovered over them, biting his lip as he considered what to do. On one hand, it didn't seem right. On the other…They were fast asleep. They couldn't do anything inappropriate while they were asleep, could they?

Finally, though, sighing and hanging his head, he grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over the two of them. He mouthed goodnight to them before heading towards the stairs.

* * *

><p><em>July 28, 1991<em>.

This time, they were going dancing.

She wasn't particularly fond of that idea. "Really, Booth," she huffed, even as she allowed him to slip on her coat, her pink dress swishing at the knees. "I'm not a very graceful dancer…In fact, I'm not sure I know how to dance at all."

There had never been an opportunity for her to dance or to learn. She'd never attended any dances, and she'd never had someone other than her father who'd wanted to dance with her. Her awkward limbs had grown slightly and she wasn't quite the stumbling, toe-stepping mess she was at age twelve when her father had still been around to dance with, but she still wasn't rid of all her clumsiness yet.

Booth wasn't fazed, however. He had insisted they'd go dancing because, apparently, all couples had to go dancing at least once. "I'll teach you," he promised with a smile, grabbing his own coat to put on.

"I'm going to step on your toes."

"I'll make you kiss it better," he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll embarrass you," she warned.

He shook his head. "Impossible," he scoffed. "You can't embarrass me." She cocked an eyebrow, prompting him to alter his words slightly in favor of a less hurtful truth. "I wouldn't care even if you did."

She sighed as Booth snatched his keys and bid goodbye to Pops and Jared - who was eyeing the couple suspiciously - he might only be twelve but he wasn't stupid. Watching their interaction closely, Jared resolved to question his grandfather about Booth and Temperance once they were gone. He hoped they were only doing that annoying flirting thing they usually did with one another, but he couldn't be too sure.

Once they were out of the house, Temperance tugged at Booth's hand, causing him to halt. "Booth," she said urgently. Booth frowned, stepping closer to her on the darkened porch. "I'm serious. I don't think I'd like dancing."

Placing his hands on her waist, he stepped close enough so that his words were a soft whisper for only her ears to hear. "You didn't think you'd like ice skating, either," he reminded her. She had been apprehensive about being on the ice, but now she badgered him to visit the rink every chance they could.

At her blush, he smiled gently. "Give it a try, Bones. You might like it."

When she nodded her assent, Booth squeezed her hips once in encouragement before letting go. Taking hold of her hand instead, he led her towards his car.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, the car's engine rumbling beneath their seats.

"Sure, Bones," he said, slowly backing out of the driveway.

She bit her lip as she kept her eyes fixed on him. "Why do you want to celebrate our monthly anniversaries so badly?" she asked.

He frowned, shooting her a brief look as he drove. "You don't enjoy it?" he wanted to clarify.

She shook her head. "No, no, I do," she was quick to reassure. "I really do. But, you know, every month on the twenty eighth, you call it our anniversary when you could just call it a date…Why do you insist on it so badly?"

He was silent for a long moment, and she was worried she'd offended him somehow. They came at a red light, however, and he stepped on the brake before turning his head to look at her. "I guess I just want us to remember to always be with each other," he said finally.

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. "You're worried we'd forget to be a couple?" she asked incredulously, not understanding.

Booth nodded. "Yes," he replied, further confusing her. Seeing this, he hastened to explain, "It's just…Now everything is relaxed. It's summertime and we've got free time to spend with one another. We're still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship and everything's going great…"

"But you're anticipating trouble in our future?"

"Not anticipating it, exactly…" he said delicately. Sighing, Booth palmed his face. He wasn't explaining himself well. "It's just that every relationship would have its trials and tribulations. I know that we'd be the same way. I guess what I'm trying to do is make sure that even when everything isn't so relaxed - like when school starts and we'd both be so swamped with senior year - we'd still take this one day out of the month to just be together, no worries, no fights, just be happy."

Reaching out, he laced their fingers together. "Right now, it's magic, Bones," he said.

She started, looking at him with a bewildered expression on her face. "Wha…I don't…Magic isn't-"

"It's magic," he interrupted, knowing she would probably spew out some realistic statement that magic wasn't real. "We're so happy we're floating on cloud nine…At least, that's how I feel," he said, a sudden bout of shyness taking over him for a moment.

Temperance blushed but didn't disagree.

Smiling wider, Booth continued. "I know we'll both be busy next year, Bones, and I know we'll miss out on a lot of things for a while - dates and being able to find time to be alone and all that stuff. But I don't want us to ever forget the magic of our relationship. I don't want us to forget to be happy," he took in a deep breath. "So even though it's silly, we celebrate our anniversary every month. We just go somewhere, we have fun, we make it a special night neither of us can miss out on."

A soft smile graced her lips as she soaked in his speech. Just as he was getting self conscious, Temperance nodded, smile still locked in place. "That's…Actually a very sweet, thoughtful idea, Booth," she said, chuckling slightly.

She reached out, cupping his cheek with the hand that wasn't entwined with his. Understanding her intentions, Booth leaned into her touch, inclining his head to accept the soft kisses she gave to him.

Lost in her sweet kisses, he was too absorbed to notice the light turning green. An angry driver blared the horn as he passed, yelling out an expletive as he passed them. Booth was far too happy to care.

Pulling away from Temperance with one last kiss, he grinned happily as he caught sight of her flushed cheeks and swollen, rosy lips. "Well, I just said all that to get you to make out with me," he joked.

Knowing he wasn't being serious, Temperance laughed loudly, smacking him lightly on the chest as he continued to drive.

Settling back into her seat, Temperance beamed as she stared out her window into the darkened streets, lit with street lamps.

If Booth really felt that way, and had gone to so much trouble to ensure that they had one night they wouldn't miss out on every month…Then perhaps she could be courteous enough to do the same.

* * *

><p>Thank you so much for reading, and please review.<p>

Juliet.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones not me.

* * *

><p><em>August 12, 1991<em>.

Just like they had done every summer since they were children, Booth and Jared were going to their Aunt Lydia's beach house in California.

Temperance hadn't thought she would be going with them, having anticipated that Pops would have called Ms. Briggs to let her know that the family was going on vacation and that they would need to put her in a temporary respite foster home.

Instead, she was surprised by Pops asking her if the small suitcase she'd gotten during her first day living with the Booths was big enough for her or if they needed to get one that was slightly bigger. "You're family, little lady," Pops had said quite sternly when she'd stuttered over his question. "That means that you go on family vacations, too."

So Booth had taken it upon himself to tell her everything they'd be able to do in California, from swimming to going to an under 21 club he'd been to the past two summers, to a bonfire that a couple of the kids he hung out with during the summers often threw together. And now, with their bags all packed and stuffed in the trunk of Pops' car, ready to take all four of them to the airport for their flight over, Booth was telling Temperance all she needed to know about Aunt Lydia.

Apparently, she was Booth's dad's older sister and Pops' only daughter. She was a very successful lawyer and the beach house was on a piece of her own land on a private beach so they wouldn't have to deal with annoying crowds but would still have neighbors they could hang out with if they wanted.

"Oh - and Aunt Lydia lives with her girlfriend, Debbie," Booth added in nonchalantly.

This particular information, he knew, was anything but light. And he had no idea how Temperance was going to react to it. She wasn't a very predictable girl, after all. He hoped, however, that she would be fine with it.

Booth himself hadn't been okay with the news immediately, but he loved his Aunt Lydia and he'd put aside his personal prejudices as soon as he'd gotten over his shock. And once he'd met Deb and seen how in love she and Aunt Lydia was, he'd realized that he'd been wrong to judge. He was more than happy with the two of them now, but it had taken time for him to get to where he was.

Temperance, who had been putting in her toothbrush, toothpaste and other necessary toiletries into her small pouch, looked up. "Girlfriend?" she repeated. "As in…Lover?"

Booth winced slightly. That word was just so wrong when referring to someone he was related to. "Yeah," he replied gruffly.

She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes searching for something in his expression. After a while, she nodded once and turned away. "Huh," she said, zipping up the pouch and walking over to her bed to put it inside her carry on bag.

Booth frowned at her. "'Huh'?" he asked. "What do you mean by 'huh'?"

"Nothing," she said defensively.

"Because I know it's not…You know, some people don't think it's 'normal' or whatever," he said, the usual protectiveness he felt about his family in general rising up. "But Debbie's a really nice woman and my Aunt Lydia-"

Temperance chuckled, shaking her head as she glanced up at him. "Booth, I don't have a problem with it," she interrupted.

He stopped mid-sentence and looked at her. "You don't?" he asked sheepishly.

She shook her head once more. "No," she assured him. "I was just…surprised."

He raised an eyebrow. "Surprised? At what?"

Temperance shrugged. "You're really weird about your religion," she pointed out. "I'm surprised you're okay with your aunt being with another woman. Isn't that a sin according to your 'God'?"

Booth scowled at her. "First of all, don't say _God_ like that," he scolded.

"Like what?"

"Like I made him up."

"But he _is_-"

He cut her off before she could finish her sentence, ignoring her. "And secondly…" he took a deep breath, looking faintly embarrassed. "I wasn't okay with it," he admitted finally. "At first."

Temperance's eyes were narrowed into thin slits as she gazed at him, observing him through keen eyes. "But you are now," she stated more than asked.

He nodded. "I was wrong…To judge them," he said, looking anywhere but at her. It wasn't so much that he was embarrassed that he had been wrong, but that he was embarrassed he'd ever thought he had the right to make any sort of judgments - especially negative, hurtful ones even if he never said them out loud - in the first place.

Temperance smiled as she took his hand. "You know, it's okay that you made a mistake," she gently tried to reassure him.

He didn't say anything but simply gave her a thankful smile. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, he nodded towards her bag. "You ready to go?" he asked, changing the subject.

Temperance grabbed hold of her bag, nodding. "Yes, I'm good," she said.

"Good!"

Booth started to talk, continuing his previous task of telling her all there was to know about Aunt Lydia, Deb and their beach house, his attitude growing more cheerful like he usually was.

The flight over to California was relatively boring, except for Booth's constant complain about his seat digging into his back and getting irritated over a kid sitting behind him who found it funny to kick the back of his seat every two minutes.

"Finally," Booth muttered as the plane touched down on solid ground. "I hate flying."

Temperance shook her head, managing an amused smile, though that quickly disappeared as they exited the plane. Booth seemed to notice her moody disposition and nudged her as they went to get their bags from the luggage claim.

"Hey," he whispered, the both of them falling behind, Pops and Jared walking ahead. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing," she muttered unconvincingly. At Booth's raised eyebrow, she relented, "I'm just finding myself a little anxious over meeting more of your family."

And she had good reason to be, too - from the way Booth had spoken about his aunt, she had a feeling he was very fond of her. She didn't want Booth's Aunt Lydia or her lover Deb to disprove of her presence in Booth's life, or the lives of Pops and Jared.

Booth smiled, reaching out to take her hand subtly. They were standing so close that no one would be able to tell they were holding hands at a brief, first glance. "They'll both love you," he assured her softly.

Temperance didn't seem convinced. "How do you know?" she asked, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

"How could they not?" he asked in all seriousness.

She felt warmth spreading all the way to the tip of her fingers and toes at his complete faith in her, at his obvious adoration for her, but that didn't mean her anxiety had lessened. She couldn't expect others to like her just because her _boyfriend_ did, for God's sake.

"Besides, Aunt Lydia and Deb are very accepting of others." Both of them knew what it was like to be ostracized by others based on unfair judgment. Booth knew his aunt and Deb both took care to be fair to everyone as much as they could, not wanting to give the same harsh treatment they'd received in the past and still sometimes get.

Temperance's lips parted, her brows furrowed, to tell him that he couldn't possibly know this without a single doubt, but Jared had halted, throwing a suspicious look over his shoulder at them.

"Oi!" he yelled. Booth and Temperance jumped, startled, and snatched their fingers away immediately. "What're you two whispering about back there?"

Booth scowled at his younger brother. "Nothing, short stuff," he said, his sharp tone softened by his ribbing.

"Then why are you all the way back there?"

"Mind your own business, Jared," Booth snapped, glaring at him.

Pops intervened when the two brothers started imitating each other childishly, half a step away from wrestling each other right there in front of baggage claim. "Here," he said gruffly, tossing Booth one of his smaller bags. "Start getting our bags, will ya?"

Temperance darted forward, relieving Pops of the two suitcases he was holding that belonged to her, Booth and Jared right behind her to help Pops grab their luggage. When Temperance's back was turned, Pops gave both boys a stern glare.

He knew that Jared had been asking more questions, and he'd already talked about it with Booth.

Booth had been the one to insist, during their conversation the day after Pops had found them coming back from their date. Pops hadn't been all that enthusiastic about keeping such a huge secret within family members in the house, especially a secret that had the potential to be far too complicated.

Against his better judgment, Pops had agreed to keeping it quiet, simply because he had been too boggled by everything. Booth hadn't wanted Jared to know because he wasn't sure his little brother could 'handle such a responsibility' of keeping it all quiet. Pops was sure sibling rivalry had something to do with that decision, as well.

Pops had explicitly warned Booth right before their trip to the airport to be as discreet and careful as ever, especially if he planned on keeping his relationship with Temperance a secret from his brother any longer. Jared might be only twelve but he'd inherited the Booth family's keen sense of observation, it seemed.

Booth gave Pops a sheepish look, nodding to silently inform him that he understood Pops' warning and would do his best to heed it.

The cab ride over to Aunt Lydia's beach house took over an hour, during which Jared and Booth managed to get into two different brotherly spats, neither of which Temperance paid any attention to. Instead, she sat in between them (a stipulation from Pops who couldn't stand the two brothers hitting each other every time they were next each other), her nose buried in The Scarlet Letter.

"Bones, I'm bored," Booth complained halfway through the journey. "Play a game with me."

It amused her at times how much like a child he could be. "I'm reading, Booth," she chided.

Booth frowned. "Exactly how many books did you bring with you?" he asked her warily, already suspecting that she had more than just that one book with her. Mainly because he thought he'd seen her reading The Bell Jar on the plane.

Temperance shrugged. "I don't know, a few," she replied non-committally. In truth, one of her suitcases (Pops had insisted on getting her bigger suitcases since the only one she owned was small enough for only a few pieces of clothing and an extra pair of shoes) wasn't filled with anything _but_ books - some of them fiction, some of them schoolbooks for her classes next year, some books on anthropology that she'd checked out of the library for her reading pleasure.

"Mm-hmm," Booth hummed, disbelieving. He'd just have to make sure that she spent more time being a teenager on vacation instead of studying - _that_ she'd have plenty time to do once school started back up.

He tried everything to get her attention, from games to tempting her with music to chat about what he'd planned for them to do that very same day…Even resorting to surreptitiously brushing his fingers against her elbow. None of them worked, except Temperance glared and smacked his hand away sharply on that last one.

Once they rounded the stretch of private beach that belonged to Aunt Lydia and Deb, however, Temperance found her concentration successfully diverted.

The house was beautiful, sprawling over an acre of the private beach. It was, by far, the biggest, most luxurious house Temperance had ever laid eyes on and just stepping onto the grounds of the gated house made her feel out of place. She had a feeling Booth would've felt the same way had he not been so used to visiting his aunt every summer since he was a young boy.

A woman came out of the front door just as the cab driver was helping them unload their luggage from the trunk. She was beautiful, with long, flowing blonde hair, curling down to the waist, and the same deep brown eyes all three of the Booths had. Her smile was brilliant, her skin flawless, and she wore clothes that were casual enough for a trip to the beach in her backyard.

"Dad!" the woman yelled, and Temperance instantly knew that she was Lydia, Pops' daughter.

Pops grinned madly as he caught Lydia in his arms. "Hey, sweetheart," Pops greeted her warmly, looking as though his cheeks hurt from smiling so much. "How are you?"

Lydia grinned right back at her father. "I'm good," she assured him, kissing his cheeks and hugging him tightly before turning her attention to her two nephews. "What's up, guys!" she greeted them with a happy smile, reaching out to ruffle Jared's hair and fist bump Booth before tugging them both towards her for a hug.

"Hey, Aunt Lydia," Jared grunted, cheeks red in embarrassment from the attention he was getting from his aunt.

Booth didn't seem to mind as much. "Where's Debbie?" he asked, peering over Lydia's shoulder as he hugged her back.

Lydia laughed loudly. "Oh, I see how it is," she teased. "Debbie's more popular than I am, huh?"

Booth grinned cheekily. "Damn straight," he scoffed. "She gives me money for every holiday."

Lydia rolled her eyes just as another woman came bursting through the door, squealing out girlishly. She was as beautiful as Lydia, with dark inky black hair that reached just below her shoulder blades and brilliant blue eyes that sparkled as she happily greeted the Booths.

Temperance had never felt so awkward, standing there in the middle of a family gathering, practically a stranger in their midst.

Booth must have noticed that Temperance wasn't getting introduced at all because he broke free from Debbie's hug and went to stand next to Temperance.

Deciding to risk it, he threw his arm around Temperance's shoulders, flashing her a small charm smile before turning to the others. "Aunt Lydia, Debbie…This is Temperance," he introduced. "Bones, this is my Aunt Lydia and Debbie."

Debbie smiled at her warmly, making her feel less uninvited, stepping forward to take her hand immediately. "Hi!" she said enthusiastically. "Hank told us all about you, of course…It's so wonderful to meet you."

Aunt Lydia, on the other hand, adopted a guarded mask. Her expression turned wary, and her eyes seemed to grow sharper, assessing Temperance with a certain sternness that made Temperance shiver.

Temperance had to admit, when she'd first seen Aunt Lydia, she had looked so docile - so laidback - that it had looked to her as though she was too cheerful a person to be a fierce lawyer in a courtroom all the time. However, standing there in front of her at that moment, Temperance could easily believe that Aunt Lydia was an intimidating enough of a woman to win over a whole courtroom of people.

"Hello," Aunt Lydia said, her voice a little too cool.

Temperance offered both women an awkward smile. "Um…Hi," she replied, rubbing her arm just for something to do with her hands. "It's, uh, it's nice to meet you…Your home is very lovely."

Aunt Lydia still looked as though she had no idea what to make of Temperance, but Debbie beamed widely, stepping forward to throw her arms around Temperance's neck. Temperance stiffened in shock, but this didn't deter Debbie in the slightest. Instead, she simply hugged tighter.

"You are so adorable!" she gushed, as though Temperance was four instead of fourteen. "Hank said you're really smart, too."

Temperance blushed wildly. "Oh, um, yes, I am," she nodded.

"She's going to be a senior next term, just like me," Booth supplied.

Debbie's eyes widened. "Wow," she said. "Aren't you just fourteen?"

Temperance shrugged. "I'll be fifteen this summer," she offered.

Debbie, who found herself enchanted by the clearly awkward, shy, almost fifteen year old soon-to-be high school senior, smiled widely and linked her arm with Temperance. "Come on," she said brightly, shooting an inconspicuous warning look at Lydia as they passed.

Lydia had, of course, confided in her about her mistrust of the foster girl her father had taken in. Debbie had thought it was unfair of her to judge before even meeting her. It was equally unfair, in her opinion, to judge her after the first few seconds.

"Boys, your room's still the same on," Lydia said, ushering the men into the house after Debbie and Temperance. "Deb redecorated again - you know how she is."

Debbie had made a name for herself as an interior designer in California. She had never actually set out on that career path, having settled for her second love for teaching, but her passion got in the way time and time again.

She had always been interested in interior design, reading books and experimenting on every place they'd lived in - the small apartment they could barely afford in college, the dingy one they moved into while Lydia went to law school, the house they had while Lydia made her career and definitely the beach home they lived in now. Passion like that, in Lydia's opinion, should always be encouraged.

The only drawback of being at Aunt Lydia's place this summer, at least to Booth, was having to share a room with Jared.

They normally had their own rooms, considering Aunt Lydia had five bedrooms in her house, but Debbie had underestimated the time it took to redecorate the other rooms. As their visit grew closer, Deb had turned Booth's room into a room for the two brothers, adding in another bed for Jared.

Booth scowled as Jared rushed into the room, following him at a much steadier pace. "I want this bed!" Jared said excitedly, throwing his bag on the bed by the window.

Booth strolled forwards, grabbed Jared's bag and tossed it onto the other bed. Jared's happy grin drooped and he glared at his older brother. "Hey!" he cried out indignantly.

"That's _my_ bed," he stated firmly.

Jared crossed his arms over his chest. "I called it," he reminded Booth stubbornly.

Booth rolled his eyes. "Doesn't matter," he insisted. "I've been sleeping on this bed forever. It's mine. You can have the other one."

As Jared huffily put away his things, throwing daggers at Booth over his shoulder every few minutes, muttering under his breath about how unfair everything was, Booth couldn't help but wonder just how fun vacation would be sharing a room with his little brother.

_I'll just spend as little time in here as possible_, Booth decided. _Yeah, that sounds good. Besides…We're at the beach, on summer vacation. I shouldn't spend my time inside anyway_.

Once his things were put away, Booth stuffed his empty bags underneath his bed and straightened up. He was halfway to the door when Jared called out.

"Hey, where are you going?" Jared asked.

As much as he hated that Booth would steal all the attention from him sometimes - like, for example, the way he'd just 'stolen' the attention from Temperance all this time - he still wanted to spend time with his brother. _Especially if it meant Temperance would be there_, he thought gleefully.

Booth raised an eyebrow at Jared, in a way that suggested he knew exactly what he was thinking. "I'm going to go see if Bones wants to go out," he said, his tone annoyed. "And _you're_ not invited."

Booth turned and walked out of the room as quickly as he could. He knew Jared would be fine - he had his own group of friends he met up with here on the beach every summer. Friends that were his own age. That left Booth plenty of time to be alone with Temperance.

He was so consumed with his thoughts that he hadn't realized there was someone in front of him until he literally bumped into them. "Bones!" Booth said, reaching out with both hands on her hips to steady her. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Temperance grinned at him. She had been steered away from Aunt Lydia by Debbie, who had chatted excitedly about the renovations she was making to the house. "I was supposed to have finish by now," Debbie had said. "But no matter how much you plan these things, something always comes up. Delays here and there…Anyway, the boys have to share this time around, and our last two rooms are still unfinished. It's a mess up there, dirt and speckle and paint everywhere. So, Lydia and I figured, you could have the guest house."

Temperance wasn't picky at all, though this would be the first time she had ever been anywhere that had a 'guest house'. So, nodding her head along to whatever Debbie was saying, Temperance allowed the older woman to lead her out to the side patio and cross the backyard filled with green grass and pretty flowers, and straight towards the pool.

When Debbie had pointed up towards the guest house, Temperance had been shocked. Even from down below, she could tell that it was a beautiful place. When Debbie had led her up the stairs to the guest house above the pool, she was proven right.

The entire place had a woodsy sort of look to it, though it certainly had feminine touches. The guest house hadn't shared the same sort of décor as the rest of the place, from what Temperance had seen, starting from the front entrance of the guest house which had white flowing curtains instead of an actual door. The interior was very rustic, very romantic, and she had been charmed by the little pots of white gardenias placed all over the room. .

Too excited to stay in one place for long, Temperance had quickly unpacked her things, looked around the guest house she would be staying in for the duration of her trip and left the place to look for Booth.

"You're staying in the guest house!" Booth yelped, eyes widening. He wouldn't have chosen the place for himself, since the place was a little too girly for his taste, but he had to be envious that she was staying outside the main house. It would be so easy for her to sneak out at night without anyone noticing. _Well, easier than me, anyway_, he thought deviously.

Temperance nodded. "It's very beautiful," she murmured. "It was very generous of Deb to let me stay there."

"Aw," they heard, making them both turn around. Debbie was standing a few feet away from them, leaning against the railing at the side of the top stairs. She was smiling indulgently at the two of them. "Thanks, sweetie. I'm glad you liked it."

Temperance grinned awkwardly in response, while Booth took half a step towards Deb. "Debbie, is it okay if we go out to the beach?" he asked her eagerly. "I think it's the perfect time for a swim."

Deb nodded. "Sure," she chirped. "You can grab some of our spare surfboards, too, Seeley." She chuckled when Booth grimaced at the name. "Just be back for lunch, okay? We're having a barbeque."

Booth grinned madly, pumping his fist in the air. Chicago wasn't exactly weather appropriate for outdoor grills, and Aunt Lydia always made the best homemade barbeque sauce. "Thanks, Debbie!" he darted forward and pressed a kiss to Deb's cheek.

Deb raised an eyebrow, an amused, knowing smirk curling on her lips as she watched Booth grab onto Temperance's hand, leading her down the stairs, the two of them laughing as they went. _Maybe there's more to the eye than just friendship between them_, Deb thought to herself.

"So, dad," Lydia said, taking discreet looks at Hank as she cut up slices of mango for them to eat. "About this Temperance girl…"

Pops laughed, shaking his head as he sunk down on a chair at the kitchen table. "I should've known you'd want to talk about this," he sighed.

"Of course I do," Lydia rolled her eyes. "All of this happened so suddenly…I mean, you never even talked to me about it. One day I get an unexpected phone call telling me you've taken in some girl…"

Pops gave her a stern look. "Now, now, Lydia," he said warningly. "I know you've always been a cautious person but I won't have you treating her badly."

Lydia looked distinctly affronted. "I won't treat her _badly_," her voice mocked that last word. "I'm just worried."

He nodded, an understanding look on his face. "I get that, sweetheart, really I do," he said gently, reaching out to pat her hand lightly as she placed the plate of mango slices in front of him. "But Tempe's had a rough life these past few years. And she's a good girl. You really should give her a chance."

Lydia sat down opposite her father, giving him an inquiring look the entire time. "Why?" she asked, her curiosity peaked. "What happened to her?"

Suddenly, it wasn't just that there was a strange girl living with Lydia's father and nephews, but it was that there was a girl who had to have been orphaned by her family to be in foster care. Truth be told, Lydia hadn't focused much on what had happened to Temperance to lead her into a situation where she would need Pops to take her in.

Pops shook his head, his lips set in a thin line, his expression surprisingly strict. Lydia hadn't seen a look like that since he had taken in the boys not too long ago. "No, Dee," he murmured, using the old nickname he'd christened her with when she was but a tiny baby. "It's her story, to tell or to keep. Just know that she's been through a hell of a lot…And she's good for Seeley."

Lydia raised her eyebrow, his words catching her interest. "Good for him?" she repeated slowly, suspicion rising to the surface. "How do you mean?"

Pops shrugged. "It's nothing, Dee," he sang-song nonchalantly, causing her to narrow her eyes at him. "She's just a very smart girl. She's his tutor, you know?"

Lydia opened her mouth to say something else, but they were interrupted by Booth and Temperance running into the room, swimsuits on and surfboards tucked underneath their arms. Lydia's eyes zeroed in on their clasped hands.

"Pops, Aunt Lydia, we're gonna head over to the beach, okay?" Booth said.

Pops nodded. "Sure, Shrimp."

"If Jared asks, we're, uh…_Not_ at the beach," Booth grinned as he and Temperance went out the back door to head for the path leading towards the beach.

Lydia raised an eyebrow at her father. "_Just_ his tutor, dad?" she asked, a disapproving edge to her knowing tone.

Pops' response was to grab another mango slice and popped it into his mouth.

* * *

><p><em>August 16, 1991<em>.

Surfing hadn't gone well for Temperance, even four days later - Booth was quite athletic, and it wasn't his first time on the waves, so he was quite adept at surfing. Temperance, on the other hand, couldn't remember just how many times she'd flipped her board over and fallen into the water.

Thankfully, nothing but her pride had been injured.

Unfortunately, it was one of Booth's favorite things to do at the beach and they went quite often. On luckier times, she'd manage to convince him to play a beach game or introduce her to some of his friends in the neighborhood instead.

Now she was back at Booth's Aunt Lydia's house, changed into dry clothes and helping the others with lunch.

Pops, Jared and Debbie were outside in the backyard, working on the grill. The weather had been wonderful, sunny all the time, and Booth and Jared in particular had hounded the adults for barbeques every day.

Temperance would probably have given Booth a longer lecture if he hadn't insisted that it was summer and people should eat unhealthily during the summer. She hadn't bought it but Booth had made sure there was enough vegetables to satisfy her health-nut side.

Temperance was in the kitchen, helping Booth grab a few bottles of soda.

"You know," Booth panted as he pulled his lips from hers for a very brief moment. "I don't actually need help carrying a couple of bottles of pop."

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Booth, it was just an excuse we gave them," she reminded him. "I know you don't really need help."

They had been given orders from Pops to take Jared along with them for whatever activities they had for the day and therefore hadn't been able to participate in any form of affection the whole morning.

That shouldn't have been a problem since they usually went without for longer back home but almost five days of a less constricting environment had spoiled them. So the first chance they had, they made up some excuse to go somewhere semi-private together and had ducked out for a brief make-out session in the kitchen.

It probably wasn't the smartest idea they'd had but everyone else was busy outside anyway. They weren't going to be looking for the two of them for some time.

"You know," Temperance said after a few more long minutes with their lips locked together. "We really shouldn't be doing this here at all."

Her last word turned into a moan as Booth tipped her head back with a gentle grip on the back of her head, his lips falling to the column of her neck and peppering slow, lingering kisses that sent her toes curling.

"Mm-hmm," Booth hummed absent-mindedly against her skin. "We're, uh, we'll be…Fine," he was just as distracted as she was, his mouth inching up her skin until they met hers in one of those head-spinning, slow, drugging kisses that they both loved so much.

"Mm, Booth…" Temperance trailed off on a moan of pleasure, allowing herself to be caught up in his kisses, whatever she wanted to say to him vanishing from her mind instantly.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there next to the fridge, with her back pressed against the wall and her arms locked around his neck, and with him caging her in with his hands on either side of her head as they kissed, but they still craved more when they were interrupted by voices outside the back door leading to the kitchen.

"Seeley? Temperance?" The unmistakable voice of Aunt Lydia forced them apart from each other, wiping at their mouths and straightening themselves up in an attempt to hide all evidence of what they'd been doing just seconds previously. "Are you in there?"

The doorknob turned and by the time the door had swung open, Booth and Temperance were each on either side of the long kitchen aisle in the center of the room, nowhere near the wall they'd made out against, and more importantly nowhere near each other.

Aunt Lydia, however, had sharp senses and her eyes narrowed as she took in Booth's mussed hair and Temperance's swollen lips, wiped clean of all the lip gloss she was wearing earlier. She took in the sight of their still slightly rumpled clothes and the guilty looks on their faces they were trying so hard to cover up.

Suspicion and warning bells went off in her mind, giving her a very distinct sign of an oncoming migraine later on.

"Hey," she said, her eyes darting from Booth to Temperance, looking far too wary for Booth's liking.

Booth nodded nonchalantly at his aunt. "Hey," he replied casually.

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "You've been gone for nearly fifteen minutes," she informed them. _Interesting_, she thought as she saw Temperance blush bright red. "We were getting worried."

"Oh," Booth cleared his throat and looked at Lydia's forehead instead of her eyes as he spoke next, "We were just…Talking."

She muttered an 'uh-huh' in a disbelieving tone. "Of course you were," she nodded, hoping she didn't sound nearly as sarcastic as she thought she did. She stared at the two of them just a tiny bit longer, making them sweat, before exhaling loudly. "Seeley, can you go outside and help Deb with the grill? Jared's helping dad set the table and he's too hyped up on sugar to be any help for anything else."

Booth looked distinctly panicked. "Oh, uh, but the soda…" he said lamely, sharing a flustered look with Temperance.

Lydia waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about that," she assured him calmly. "I can help Temperance with that."

Booth bit his lip, trying to come up with an excuse for Temperance or to, at least, stall. "Are you sure?" was the best he could come up with.

Lydia nodded, smiling largely until her pearly whites were showing. "Yes," she said firmly. "I need to get cheese for Deb, anyway."

She pretended not to see the meaningful look shared between Booth and Temperance right before he left the kitchen.

Temperance stood awkwardly at one end of the kitchen aisle, her hands pressed on the marble counter top and her feet shuffling on the floor. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them as Aunt Lydia met her gaze steadily, arms crossed over her chest.

It was unnerving her the way Aunt Lydia kept staring at her, her brilliant eyes narrowed as though she was trying to figure Temperance out. She still didn't look any friendlier than she had when Temperance had first met her.

Finally, Temperance moved towards the fridge and pulled out a bottle of soda - she and Booth hadn't gotten around to get any drinks when they'd both been in the kitchen earlier.

Her spine grew sort of stiff when Aunt Lydia came to stand next to her to help her grab a few bottles of soda.

They stood in silence as they pulled out bottles of Pepsi. It was awkward and strange and more than a little uncomfortable. Temperance wasn't sure if she was supposed to say anything - her lack of knowledge on social cues made her all the more hyper-aware of how incredibly out of place she was at the moment - but the strict look on Aunt Lydia's face made her want to get back out to the backyard as fast as she could.

"Is it okay if I have this?" Temperance asked a little nervously, holding up a bottle of water. "I, uh, I don't drink carbonated water."

Aunt Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she said, as though this was the most interesting bit of information she'd ever heard. "Why not?"

Temperance shrugged, closing the fridge door as she handed Aunt Lydia the last bottle of Pepsi. "It's incredibly unhealthy," she answered matter-of-factly.

The corner of Aunt Lydia's lip quirked upwards slightly, but the movement had gone by far too quickly for Temperance to really take note of. "That's fine," she replied, waving dismissively at the bottle.

Temperance was about to gather two of the bottles in her arms when Lydia spoke up. "So… You've been staying with my dad for…What? Four, five months now?" Lydia asked nonchalantly.

Temperance snuck a look at Lydia, surprised that she was initiating any sort of conversation. She had been so guarded around Temperance before. "Um, yes," Temperance replied. "Ever since March."

"And how are you liking it?"

Temperance tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "It's good," she nodded, allowing a small smile to cross her lips at this point. "Pops is the best foster guardian I've ever had. He's a very kind man."

Lydia stared at the girl for a little longer than was probably normal. _Not really what I was expecting_, she mused, her eyes flickering over Temperance's seraphic features. _She looks innocent enough, but it wouldn't be the first time someone's put on an act_.

"Yeah, my dad's always been that way," Lydia agreed. There was an awkward pause, during which neither of them moved from their spot next to the kitchen isle, the soda still placed on the counter. "And Seeley?" Lydia asked out of the blue.

Suddenly on guard, Temperance's spine stiffened, and her own expression was cautious as she steadily met Lydia's gaze. "What about Booth?" she asked slowly.

Lydia shrugged. "Dad mentioned that you're tutoring Seeley," Lydia said. "And you're both in the same grade, right?"

"Yes."

"How are you two getting along?"

"Fine," Temperance replied, getting more and more uncomfortable with Lydia's questions. It was as though she suspected there was more than friendship between Booth and Temperance, and she was trying to get the truth out of her. "He's been good to me."

Lydia pursed her lips. "I noticed the two of you are very close," she said, making an honest observation. "You spend a lot of time together."

Temperance nodded slowly. "Yes, we do," she murmured warily. "Booth is my best friend."

Lydia crossed her arms over her chest, leaning her hip against the side of the counter. "Is that all that he is?" she asked, her tone stern. Temperance remained quiet, her bottom lip drawn in between her teeth.

Temperance wasn't going to say anything, that much Lydia could tell. She was building walls, being so guarded that it was impossible to see through the mask she had on. Still, Lydia was a lawyer. It wasn't an impossible feat for her to break through such walls.

"Look, maybe you are as nice a girl as you seem to be," Lydia started.

"I am," Temperance interrupted truthfully.

Lydia blinked. "_Right_," she drawled. "But here's the thing…You're a stranger to me. And I know that my dad and my nephews seem to like you, but maybe it takes an impartial eye to see things the way they really are."

Feeling oddly insulted and not really knowing the reason why, Temperance mimicked Lydia's stance. "What exactly are you implying?" she asked, her tone slightly hardened due to how miffed she was.

Lydia shrugged. "I'm not implying anything," she assured Temperance. "I'm just…Wondering."

"About?"

"About your intentions."

Temperance's eyes widened slightly. "My intentions?" she asked, confused. "I don't understand…"

Lydia sighed, one hand reaching up to brush through her blonde hair. "Don't get me wrong - I'm not judging you," Lydia began. _Not really_, she added silently with a wince. "I'm just…I'm protective of my family. So I want to understand."

Temperance nodded, her rigid posture relaxing just a smidgen. "I suppose that's reasonable," she allowed.

Her hyper rational tone made Lydia want to smirk. She'd noticed, among other things, how Temperance didn't seem to have a 'relaxed' mode at all. Everything she said, be it a casual comment on the weather or a discussion on a movie she'd watched with Booth, sounded like it could be a part of a lecture in science class.

"So tell me the truth," Lydia persisted in a soft tone. "Are you and my nephew seeing each other?"

Temperance chewed on her bottom lip as she gazed at Lydia. She knew that Lydia was a part of the Booth family and that, to her, meant that Lydia was probably trustworthy enough. But she couldn't find it in herself to risk it all by revealing everything to Lydia at this point.

Instead, she spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully as she went. "You know, my time in the foster system hadn't been all that great before I met Booth," she divulged. "And Pops…He's so good to me. All three of them have been very accepting of me, and I…They're very important to me. It's the first time since my parents disappeared that I felt like I'm a part of a real family."

Lydia stayed silent and stoic as she listened to Temperance's speech. Her eyes were fixed on Temperance's shocking blue orbs, taking in the sincerity of the moment in silent surprise.

"I'm not a liar, Lydia. It's not all that hard for me to be truthful at all times because I don't believe in lying to anyone, and just the thought of saying a lie gives me hives…But Booth is important to me, too," Temperance murmured softly, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she stated that last part. "He means more to me than I could tell you. More than I could understand, even."

Lydia's expression cleared, understanding washing over her. She'd been confused as to the reason behind Temperance's words - until they'd reached this point. Her head bobbed up and down slowly, "So you're lying about…You and Seeley? No one knows?"

"Pops does."

"Ah."

The disapproval in Lydia's tone was palpable in her expression as well.

Temperance sighed, ducking her head for a moment before raising it to look straight into Lydia's eyes. "Listen, I can understand your need to protect them - I do that as well. They're my family, too," she insisted. "I don't want to live with anyone else because of that, but I don't want to give Booth up, either."

Lydia opened her mouth, though she was unsure what she was going to say to the girl at all, but Temperance spoke before she could. "Earlier you asked me what my intentions were," Temperance reminded her. "I just want to continue to live with Pops so I can finish my high school education and go to college. I don't know where my relationship with Booth will take us, but I hope we'll remain at least best friends for a long time."

Making sure that their eyes were locked in place, Temperance promised in a low voice, "I would never use or hurt Booth or Pops or Jared, Lydia. That would be unthinkable."

Lydia took her in, eyeing her speculatively. She had seemed sincerely enough, though Lydia wasn't sure if she could really believe everything Temperance said. After all, she had only been introduced to the girl four days ago.

Before she could make up her mind, however, they were interrupted by the backdoor swinging open and Booth striding in. His concern was carefully concerned as he gazed at the two women in the kitchen. It hadn't escaped his attention that Aunt Lydia hadn't warmed up to Temperance, nor was she the greatest supporter of Temperance's presence in their lives.

"Hey, everything okay in here?" he asked, keeping his tone light. "Everyone's getting kinda thirsty out there."

Temperance immediately gathered two Pepsi bottles and headed for the door. "We're fine," she assured Booth, smiling slightly. As she passed him, she whispered quietly, "She knows."

Booth's head swiveled around in shock to look at his aunt. She merely met his gaze coolly. Once Temperance was out the door, Booth shut it gently. Someone finding out about his relationship with Temperance wasn't a light issue. He needed to have a talk with Lydia, to make sure she knew not to say anything to anyone.

A few moments passed in silence, with Lydia's piercing gaze making Booth as uncomfortable as can be.

"So," he finally said in an attempt to break the awkward silence.

"So," Lydia repeated, arching one perfectly shaped eyebrow, arms still crossed, expression still neutral.

Booth threw a look over his shoulder at the closed door before turning back around to face Lydia. One hand went up to rub at the back of his reddening neck. "Listen…I know that you might not approve of Bones and I being together-"

"_Might_ not?" Lydia scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Booth chose to ignore that, knowing that he really wasn't in the position to backtalk to an adult at the moment, though he did shoot a glare her way. "But," he stressed. "You know, she means a lot to me…And we, uh, we're not doing anything crazy."

Even saying something like that - so innocent that it was barely an implication - made him blush to the tips of his ears.

At Lydia's decidedly unimpressed look, he pressed further. "Pops has rules that we have to follow - good rules - and we've been doing that this whole time, and she's not just any girl, Aunt Lydia, she's _Bones_, which means she's smart and she…She's not - she's just a pretty big part of my life now," it was as though he had said all of that in one rushed breath. Taking in a needed gulp of air, he lowered his voice. "Please don't tell anyone about this," he pleaded finally.

Lydia sighed, shaking her head. "You want me to lie, Seeley?" she asked him disapprovingly.

"No!" he shook his head vehemently. "Not lie, exactly…I mean, who are you really supposed to lie to, right? Just…Don't tell people. Please."

"A lie by omission is still a lie," she chided sternly. Seeing the crestfallen expression on his face, she sighed once more. Feeling tired all of a sudden, Lydia heavily dragged her legs over to a chair. Sinking down on it, she glanced at her nephew. "Talk to me Seel," she urged. "This… _relationship_ with Temperance…How serious is it?"

She had to wonder, after all. She had observed for herself how close Booth and Temperance was. It had been bad enough when she'd only suspected their relationship but now that it was confirmed, she was starting to see the underlying meaning behind every look, every touch, every spoken word between them.

Booth shuffled his feet, shifting his weight from one foot to another, and averted his gaze from Aunt Lydia's eyes. "Aunt Lydia…Do we really have to talk about this?" he asked her uneasily.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You want me to go along with your little secret?" At his nod, she smirked. "Then start talking."

Booth sighed, dropping into the seat opposite Lydia's. Running a hand through his hair, Booth tried to find a way to explain to her the intensity of his relationship with Temperance. He didn't think he needed to go into the gory details, not that he wanted to anyway.

"She…Means a lot to me," he began slowly. "Look, you need to know…Bones and I didn't just get into this without thinking about everything first. We know the consequences, the risks… We're not just messing around here, Aunt Lydia. What we have…I know it might sound cheesy to say but it's something real."

Lydia smirked despite the shock she felt at his words. He sounded so mature, so much more older than he had been the last time she'd seen him barely a year ago.

She knew for certain that the Seeley Booth a year ago, struggling with school and his issues with whatever flavor of the month he had and still fighting the depression he'd been left with ever since David had walked out on him and Jared…_That_ Seeley Booth would've never been able to say what this one just had. He never would've been able to open up enough to let someone affect him this much.

Lydia wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but this was obviously the doing of Temperance Brennan.

"You're right - that was cheesy," she teased, as a way to lighten the atmosphere.

Booth chuckled slightly, looking away embarrassedly.

Lydia bit her bottom lip, eyeing him contemplatively. "You're really serious about her?" she asked him, her tone solemn.

Booth's smile slipped off his face and he nodded in silent answer to her question.

"And…How far along exactly are you…I mean, how far have things gone with the two of you?" Lydia asked, watching in mild amusement as Booth blushed bright red. It wasn't exactly the most appealing topic of discussion for her, either, especially to have with her nephew.

"_Aunt Lydia_!" Booth hissed. "Look, is this really necessary? Bones and I aren't little kids."

She nodded, as though he'd just proved her point instead of defend himself. "Exactly! You're not kids - you're _teenagers_," she pointed out. "I just feel like…I mean, I don't think that dad's giving you any advice on the matter-"

"Thank God," Booth muttered. He was already uncomfortable enough having this dreadful conversation with his favorite aunt. Just the thought of having the conversation with his _grandfather_ was absolutely mortifying.

Lydia steadfastly ignored that. "And it's not like you have anyone else to talk to about this," she added in a much more gentler tone. Booth's expression dropped and he looked away from her, a frown gracing his lips at the reminder of the lack of parental presence in his life. She noticed this and gave him a sympathetic look. "I just wanted you to know that you can talk to _me_ about it. If you want…"

Booth remained silent for a few moments, his eyes fixed on a tile pattern on the floor. His head seemed to be spinning a thousand miles an hour, thoughts flickering far too fast for him to hold on to.

In the end, however, he turned his head back to face Lydia, forced a smile to curl on his lips and nodded. "Yeah, I know," he said, his voice gruffer than he intended. "Thanks."

There was a timid knock at the door before it swung open a crack, and a head full of shiny brunette waves popped in. "Is everything okay?" Temperance asked, a little nervously.

Booth tore his eyes away from her to share a meaningful look with his aunt. A small smile formed on both their lips after a long moment, a look of mutual understanding passing between them. Turning back to look at Temperance, Booth grinned. "Everything's fine," he murmured.

Standing up, he gripped the last two bottles of Pepsi on the counter and headed for the door. "Come on," he said, his eyes shining down at Temperance as he reached her. "Let's get back outside."

She was about to say more, her eyes darting between Booth and Lydia confusedly, but Booth leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. Blushing furiously and giving a panicked look at Lydia - who barely even bat an eyelash at this - Temperance followed Booth out the door.

Lydia heaved a sigh as she glanced out the kitchen window, watching as Booth and Temperance joined the others outside at the backyard. Booth had shoved the Pepsi bottles into Jared's arms and, as Jared watched on scowling, Booth had ran over to Temperance, tackled her into a hug and started swinging her around as she laughed loudly.

Despite the happy picture she was presented with, Lydia's smile slowly started to dim. She was still only halfway sure of Temperance's pure intentions - it wasn't in her nature to be so trusting of people so early after meeting them, no matter how innocent they seem. And now with this clandestine relationship Booth and Temperance were in…It brought about so much potential for disaster. It set Lydia's teeth on edge.

A happy shriek of laughter brought Lydia's attention back to the present. Her eyes were drawn back to the window, back to watching her nephew together with his girlfriend - Lydia's new foster niece. _God, that sounds so messed up put that way_, she shuddered.

Rising from her seat, Lydia squared her shoulders and made her way towards the door. She still had the next couple of weeks to get to know Temperance, to observe her with the rest of the family and to get a feel for her.

However, regardless of what she thought of Temperance herself, Lydia knew for a fact that her father, legal guardian to both Booth and Temperance, didn't have a single clue what to do when it came to their romance. It had been a long time since he'd had teenagers in the house, and it was different this time around anyway. The two lovebirds were living in the same house and Lydia knew that would bring about plenty more opportunities for them to get together than Pops might realize.

The soft green grass tickled her sandaled feet as she walked across the backyard. She smiled as she passed by Booth, Temperance and Jared, all three playing soccer with Debbie a few feet away from the grill. She waved at Deb as she passed then turned to face the front as she walked towards the garden table Debbie had placed there ages ago.

Pops was sitting at the table as well, fixing up his own hotdog, a piping hot sausage placed in between a bun. "Hey, sweetheart," he greeted her with a smile, reaching for a bottle of ketchup. "Grab a hotdog."

She nodded, reaching for a paper plate herself.

Pops watched Lydia for a moment, biting into his hotdog. "Temperance told me that you found out about their little secret," Pops said, swallowing his bite.

Lydia met his gaze steadily. "Not sure if 'little' is the right word," she muttered, causing him to laugh. "But yes."

Pops, sensing that there was something his daughter wanted to say, raised an eyebrow as he eyed her contemplatively. "Something on your mind, Dee?"

Lydia smiled a little. It had always been a source of comfort for her to have such a perceptive pair of parents. It was troublesome and, at times, unwelcome during her teenaged years but every other time, it had been wonderful.

Nodding, she said, "I'm worried about how serious things are between Seeley and that girl."

Pops' lips quirked a little, turning upward. If David had been the looser sibling growing up, Lydia was always the worrywart. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Lydia exhaled loudly. "I think…I think their relationship is a lot more than just the typical boy-girl relationship most high schoolers have."

Pops snorted, rolling his eyes. "Well, I already knew that," he scoffed, waving one large hand in dismissal. It had been obvious to him all the way back before the two had even gotten together romantically. The bond they shared was much deeper than the average one. In terms of what they felt for one another, Pops had always thought that they were far more mature than a bunch of young adolescents.

Lydia narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you mean?" she repeated his earlier question.

Chuckling, Pops shrugged. "You know, they have a strong bond," he explained. "It's always been that way, even when all they would do was bicker."

Stowing that little piece of information away, Lydia shook her head. "That's not what I meant," she corrected. "Not exactly."

"Then what?"

She sighed. "I meant…I just, I'm worried that, with how serious those two are becoming…I'm worried they'd, uh, _act_ on some of their feelings," she grimaced as she tried to articulate her concerns.

Pops' eyes widened as he started to understand her meaning. "Oh! _Oh_," he shook his head, wincing at just how awkward this line of conversation was. "Lydia, don't you think you're being a little too hasty to judge? They're so young."

"Sixteen isn't an uncommon age for teenagers to start having sex, dad," Lydia chided, refraining from letting him know that she herself had lost her virginity at that age.

Pops frowned. "She's only fourteen," he reminded her.

Lydia shrugged, "Isn't she turning fifteen soon?"

She had caught Booth brainstorming on ideas for a birthday gift, and he'd confessed that he wanted to get something special for the first birthday Temperance would ever spend with him. She was torn between finding it sweet and finding it a little too presumptuous for him to think that they'd have many more birthdays to spend together.

Pops waved his hand once more. "Still," he said gruffly. "They're young, but they're not stupid, Lydia."

"They're _teenagers_," she argued. Pops was shaking his head in denial, which made her just a little bit edgy with frustration. "Dad, I'm pretty sure I just walked in on them making out in the kitchen," she said in a low, urgent tone.

Pops was adamant. "Ah, they're _together_, Lydia," he said dismissively. "Of course they're going to kiss now and then. Kissing isn't harmful to anyone." Seeing her less than satisfied expression, he sighed. "They're smart," he insisted. "They're not gonna be doing anything stupid, Dee. I trust them. I believe that they won't betray my trust."

Lydia sighed, dropping her head a little in defeat.

"Besides," Pops continued. "Even if they _were_ going to do something idiotic, it's not like they have many chances."

Lydia raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Dad, they live in the same house," she pointed out wryly.

He chuckled. "Yeah, but it's not like they have a lot of alone time together," he pointed out. "Me and Jared are always around in the house, and they're busy enough with school otherwise. Privacy isn't easily obtained at home."

Lydia turned her head to look at the others. She found Debbie and Jared still playing soccer, the two of them distracted enough that they didn't notice Booth and Temperance slipping away from the group.

Lydia caught them just in time, watching as Booth led Temperance by the hand, both of them laughing and smiling uncontrollably as they disappeared right around the corner of the house. Her eyes caught Booth's hand cupping her cheek, his arm wrapped around her waist and pulling her into him as they disappeared from view, their heads bending closer together.

Shaking her head, Lydia took another bite out of her hotdog. Her father was either oblivious to things, which was highly unlikely in her opinion, or he was giving an unearthly amount of trust to Booth and Temperance.

Frowning to herself, Lydia thought, _I hope they don't misuse that trust_.

* * *

><p><em>August 18, 1991<em>.

"I think we should do something special for our anniversary this month."

Temperance laughed, looking up from her biochemistry textbook to shoot Booth an amused look. "You say that every month," she pointed out, arching her back as she stretched before settling back against the pillows she'd propped against Booth's bed's headboard.

Booth grinned at her. "Yeah," he agreed. "But this is different. We're in _California_. It's the first time we're in California together…It's gonna be a whole year before we'll come back here."

She refrained from mentioning that she wasn't sure if they'd even have the opportunity to come back to California the next year. After all, as much as she'd like to stay with the Booths, it wasn't like she couldn't be moved away to a different family. She was still, after all, the foster kid they brought into their home. She wasn't a permanent fixture.

"Isn't it always the woman who always bugs the man about celebrating anniversaries in a relationship?" she teased, drawing reference from what her mother had said once when her father had wanted to spend one of their anniversaries at home, watching TV, instead of going out to do something special.

He scowled at her and she hid a chuckle, adopting a more serious expression. He could see the playful twinkle in her eye, however, and had to admit that he loved that she could be so carefree with him. "We could just go to the beach," she said instead. "It's not like we'd get many chances back home."

He shook his head. "Nah, we go to the beach every day," he muttered. "Not good enough…"

Temperance gave him a look. "Oh, honestly, Booth," she sighed. "I'm in California, with you and your family…Really, all of this is already special enough."

But he was still adamant, muttering ideas underneath his breath as he reached for one of her pens, twirling it around with his fingers. Temperance reached out and snatched the pen out of his hand, glaring at him slightly.

"Maybe we could go all out this time," he suggested. "Remember Rylan?"

Temperance dropped her head back down, eyes drawn to the textbook splayed open in front of her. "Rylan?" she murmured, dragging the tip of her yellow highlighter along a few sentences on the passage she was reading. "Your friend two houses down?"

Booth nodded. "Yeah, him," he confirmed. "He was telling me about his plans with his girlfriend. He was gonna take her-"

A loud crash from downstairs startled the both of them. Temperance sat upright, shock on her features, and she shared a fearful look with Booth when they heard loud voices rising steadily.

Loud, _angry_ voices.

"Stay here," Booth practically growled at Temperance, the old instincts he'd developed so early in life protecting his brother and mother as best as he could surfacing.

Temperance, however, shot him a look that suggested she thought he was crazy. "Yeah, right," she scoffed, tossing her book aside and climbing off the bed, scrambling after him.

Booth threw her a warning look. "Bones, it sounds like someone arguing down there," he hissed as they crept down the hallway.

Temperance nodded as though she was simply agreeing with him on the same point. "Yes, it sounds like an adult male," she whispered back. "It doesn't sound like Pops, though. He's not even supposed to be back yet."

"Which means," he insisted, his hand flying out to grab at her arm and halt her in her steps. "That something bad might be going down."

'Might' was really not the word he should have used at all.

Booth could already hear his brother yelling loudly, fear and anger interlacing together. Another crash caused a strong sense of urgency to surge through him. "Stay here," he repeated to Temperance, hands gripping each of her shoulder blades, shaking her gently.

She was about to protest but the intensity of his dark eyes and the urgency in his hoarse, voice caused her to simply nod numbly, her tensed muscles slacking.

Booth, feeling an odd sense of sickening anxiety that he hadn't felt since he'd last seen his father, nodded once in relief that she was acquiescing with his completely reasonable request. Giving her a humorless, strained smile, he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers in a quick, branding kiss.

She watched as he left, running down the hallway towards the staircase, his footsteps completely inaudible. As soon as he disappeared down the stairs, Temperance followed, creeping down the stairs slowly as she peering over the landing.

Booth had ran into the living room, spurred on by another crash and a thud that sounded like someone had been pushed down and had knocked over something that had smashed and broken.

What he saw knocked him breathless.

There, a horrifying image from his past, stood his father. He wore jeans, an undershirt and a striped button down that was unbuttoned. His dark hair was scraggly and unkempt, a beard formed on his face that made him seem almost unrecognizable to those who hadn't seem him on his worst days.

Unfortunately for both Booth and Jared, they had, and he was as familiar to them as the back of their hands.

"Dad," the word, whispered harshly, slipped out before he could stop himself.

Temperance, who had crept up until she was hidden behind the wall next to the living room entryway, froze in a half crouch. Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a shocked gasp, and she peered carefully to take a look at the scene.

The man standing in the living room, right next to the couch, might as well have been breathing fire the way he was glaring at Booth. Even with the way the anger contorted his features, and the beard forming on his face, Temperance could see the uncanny similarities between the stranger and Booth and Jared.

"Seeley," the man said, his voice coming out a hoarse rasp. "How you've been?"

Temperance had seen many a drunk man since entering the foster system, and he clearly was it.

Her eyes seemed to find the youngest Booth the same time the older sibling did. Jared was on the floor, sprawled against the side of the couch, looking more than a little dazed. The fingers of one hand was pressed against his bloody bottom lip. He was looking up between Booth and their father, fear so evident in him that his entire body was shaking badly.

Seeing his little brother like that seemed to spark his anger into overdrive. "What the hell!" he said loudly. "What are you doing here?"

"That any way to talk to your old man, Seeley?"

Booth scowled at David Booth and shoved past him, reaching for his brother. David grasped blindly at Booth as he moved forward, ending up with a fistful of Booth's shirt clutched in his fist.

Booth wasn't the same defenseless kid he was back then, however. He was much lither, much stronger than he'd been when he was only a child.

He shoved David's arm away from him, glaring at him so hard that his eyes grew hot in anger. "Get off of me," he growled, his voice low. "And don't you _dare_ touch Jared."

A swift punch to the side of his face left Booth reeling. He'd never even seen it coming. "Don't you talk back to me, boy," David snarled.

Temperance fought the urge to step out from behind the wall and help Booth. The act of violence against him had been so unexpected despite her knowledge of his abusive past. After all she'd been through, all that she'd seen…She had never seen him getting hit at all.

Even though she knew of his abusive childhood, she had only ever seen him in a happy home. She had never seen him being struck before, especially by someone who was older and bore so much resemblance to him. Someone who, she knew, was supposed to be protecting him instead of hurting him.

As soon as the punch landed, Booth staggered back and it seemed like David did, too. He blinked a few times, as though coming out of a stupor, and his glazed eyes were a little clearer than before. "Look," he wheezed out, his tone less harsher than before. "I just need some cash."

Booth felt disgust bubbling under the surface. "_Money?_" he asked incredulously. "You tracked us here to ask us for money?"

A dark grin flickered across David's face. "I didn't know you two'd be here," he confessed. "That was just a bonus. Huh?"

"You need to leave," Booth said urgently, helping Jared to his feet. Jared seemed embarrassed at having gotten help from his older brother, though he didn't push him away. "We don't have any money to give you."

David scoffed. The main reason he had come all the way to California, to his sister's huge mansion-like house, was because he knew she had money to spare. She'd never fuelled his, uh, _habit_ before and they hadn't had a civil conversation in years but he was desperate. Seeing his sons - both of them all in one go - was a shock to him as well.

"Where's Lydia?" he demanded gruffly.

Booth glared at him. "She's not home," he spat out. "She won't be home for a long time. And even if she was, she would never give any money to you."

If there was anything Booth had learnt over the years was that when David was in one of his 'moods', it was never a good idea to talk back to him or anger him in any way.

Of course, Booth had grown to ignore that rule as he reached adolescence, sometimes angering David on purpose. It wasn't that he wanted to get hit, it was just that he wanted the chance to hit back. Being around his father gave him such a surge of anger that, sometimes, he seemed unrecognizable even to himself.

It wasn't a surprise to him, then, when David's fist swung out, hitting him so hard that he stumbled backwards, crashing into Jared and sending them both sprawling on the floor.

Temperance couldn't help the shriek of horror that escaped her lips. Forgoing Booth's warning about staying out of sight, she darted from behind the wall, startling David enough to halt him in his steps towards the two boys. She dropped to her knees next to Booth, shooting a brief, concerned look at Jared. When she noticed that he was fine, she turned her attention back to Booth.

"Bones," he groaned, wincing as he sat up, giving her a cautionary look. "What're you doing here? I told you to stay upstairs."

She ignored that, her wide, frightened blue eyes fixed on the bruise forming on his jaw, her trembling fingers brushing against the unblemished skin around it. "Are you okay?" she whispered, blinking back tears.

"I'm fine," he murmured back, alternating between shooting daggers at the man he once called his father and giving soft, concerned looks at Temperance. As the both of them climbed to their feet, Booth took care to shield Temperance, keeping her firmly behind him.

"Jared," Booth spoke in a low voice. "Go upstairs."

Jared glared at Booth. "No way!" he protested. One look at his father was enough to make him want to scramble upstairs but he didn't want to be the scrawny kid who hid behind his older brother anymore. He was old enough. He was stronger now. _I can fight for myself_, he thought defiantly.

Booth tilted his head to the side slightly in Jared's direction, though he kept his eyes on David. "Jared," his tone quiet and low in warning. "Upstairs. Right now."

Jared stood there for a few seconds, his head turning from one side to another, looking between Booth and David. Finally, though, his fear of the man with the dark eyes won out and he ran out of the living room, sprinting up the stairs.

"Bones, you go with him," he ordered next.

"No," she protested, even as she clung to him, arms hooked from underneath his, hands pressed to his shoulder blades and her front pressed to his back.

"Bones."

"I'm staying here!" she insisted through a shaky voice.

David staggered slightly unsteadily on his feet, not quite as sober as Booth would like, and squinted at Temperance, frowning at her. "Who the hell is this?" he asked confusedly. He might be smashed but he'd remember having a third child, a daughter at that.

"She's no one you should be concerned about," Booth said defensively.

David blinked a few times rapidly and shook his head as though trying to clear it. "Whatever," he spat out. He had no time nor any desire to waste it on this mystery girl. "Where's Lydia keep her cash."

"Hell if I know," Booth answered back stiffly.

David's eyes narrowed as much as he could, the buzz in his head making it a little hard for him to control his facial expressions. "And that skank she's living with?"

"Deb is a nice person," Temperance scowled at David despite her mounting, almost paralyzing fear.

David threw Temperance an incredulous look. "Tell your lady friend to shut the hell up, Seeley," he growled. "She can't talk to me that way."

Booth pushed Temperance even further behind him. "Don't talk about her," he snapped at his father. "Don't look at her." _And don't you dare touch her, either_, he finished angrily in his mind.

That seemed to be enough to piss David off because he was suddenly reaching out, grasping Booth by the front of his shirt and yanking him forward. Temperance cried out a "No!" and tightened her grip on Booth, trying her best to keep him from David.

Of course, that plan wasn't a good one since she was only a teenaged girl and David was a full grown man. Staring at her like she was a pest in his way, David used his other hand to shove her away from Booth. He used so much force that she staggered slightly as she lost her hold on Booth and promptly fell flat on her face.

"Boy, you owe me. I gave you a roof to live under," he reminded Booth. "Don't you forget that. You and your brother and your no good mother-"

"Don't talk about mom like that," Booth yelled, suddenly seeing red at the mention of the mother he had loved so dearly and lost not too long ago, shoving at David. "Don't you talk about her!"

Before Temperance knew it, Booth had pulled his arm back and was slugging David on his cheek, sending him stumbling backwards.

Even though Booth had grown since the last time David saw him, he was still no match for a grown man who used to be in the military. However, David was pretty much too drunk to really be steady on his own two feet let alone when somebody hit him.

Booth's physical retaliation, however, had put David in a horrible rage. The moment he was steady enough, he practically roared as he lunged forward towards Booth.

Temperance gave a scream of fright as father and son started hitting each other, Booth trying to throw David off and David…In an alcoholic rage. She darted forward, throwing herself in between Booth and David when David loomed over Booth on the floor, one eye already blackening and his nose bleeding.

In a futile attempt, she tried to get David away from Booth by punching at his body. David merely looked like she was a nuisance, not at all fazed by her hits, and grabbed her by the wrists, glaring down coldly at her. She shivered involuntarily - those Booth family brown eyes had never looked so wrong before.

"I called the cops!" she fibbed fearfully as David glowered down at her. "They're going to be here any minute. You'd better get out!"

David eyed her, as though trying to sense if she was telling the truth. "You're lying," he finally concluded. "Get the hell out of my way, girl."

She put up a good fight as he tried to shove her away, landing a good solid kick to his leg and landing a punch to his face with her right fist, just like she'd learned in karate class.

"Bitch!" David screamed, dropping his hold on her as blood spurted out of his nose.

She didn't have time to be smug about her success because David had lashed out so quickly she hadn't even noticed it until she felt the stinging pain across her cheek.

This seemed to sent Booth into overdrive. He jumped back to his feet, ignoring the dizzying feeling in his head, and pushed Temperance gently aside. "Don't hurt her!" he growled at David, and then they were back to fight each other.

Temperance watched from her place on the floor, a horrified expression on her face as Booth crumpled to the floor, a pained expression on his face.

She scrambled away from the scene as fast as she could, her mind racing as she tried to figure out a way to stop David. She considered calling the police but how long would they take to get to the house? Would they be too late? Would Booth be okay by then? How far was David going to go this time?

She seemed to catch a little bit of luck when she caught sight of the baseball bat propped against the hall closet near the stairs. Booth had just been teaching her how to play baseball yesterday. She sprinted towards the closet and grabbed the baseball bat.

Racing back to the living room where David was now spewing out something drunkenly, his words slurred, and Booth was lying on the floor, clutching at his abdomen and rolling about in pain.

She raised the baseball bat and swung just before David's foot connected with Booth's already bloodied face.

The bat hit him solidly in the head, causing him to stumble and fall forward on his face like she had earlier, and Temperance took the opportunity while he was down to hit him again, not knowing if he was unconscious or simply slightly injured. She didn't want to risk him getting back up on his feet and coming at them. Even armed with a baseball bat, she wasn't sure she could win against him when he was fully focused on her.

"Leave Booth alone!" she screamed, terrified, when she saw him start to stand and swung the bat again, this time hitting him in the back as hard as she could.

"Bones!" Booth called out, pulling Temperance back. She got in one more swing before Booth placed himself between David and Temperance once more.

David, looking a little more worn than before thanks to Temperance's relentless swinging, staggered to his feet and turned around. He wagged a finger at the two teenagers. "You," he panted, trying to breathe painfully through his injured nose. "Are one hell of a bitch, girlie. Give me that," he tried to reach for the bat but Temperance gripped it tightly with both her hands, raising it as though poised to swing it again if he came any closer.

Booth, seeing that David was distracted, swiftly punched him in the face, just as a loud, angry voice rang out.

"Hey! What the _hell_ are you doing here!"

The only thing Booth could think of was, _Oh, thank God_, hugging Temperance to his less injured side.

* * *

><p>I don't mean to offend anyone regarding David's actions and how all of that played out. I tried my best to make it seem not so lame but I have no real life experience with abuse so I'm sorry if I did somehow managed to offend someone or majorly screw up the entire thing.<p>

Anyway, please drop a line to tell me how you found this chapter.

Juliet.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Just a slight warning - there's a very light M rated scene at the end. I didn't change the story rating because it's not graphic like the other M rated stories on this site. I just wanted to mention it for those of you who aren't into that sort of a thing at all.

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>August 18, 1991<em>.

"Hey, what the _hell_ are you doing here!"

All three of them turned around to see an enraged Pops standing at the entrance of the living room, his face an alarming shade of magenta and his fists clenched his sides.

David seemed to freeze at the sight of his father, and he gaped speechlessly, drunkenly, at Pops as though he wasn't sure if Pops was real or a hallucination. "Dad?" he uttered when Pops repeated his question once more.

"Get the hell away from them," Pops growled, storming forward quickly. He fisted the material of David's shirt, yanking him backwards without any difficulty at all, dragging him away from Booth and Temperance.

David staggered when Pops released his shirt, unsteady on his feet. "I wasn't hurting 'em," he tried to fib. Of course, the evidence of his assault was right in front of him. "I just need some cash."

Pops shook his head. "I'm not gonna encourage your sickness, David," he scolded harshly. "And I'm not gonna let Lydia do that, either. You'd better get on out of here, son," he advised David, his tone deceptively calm.

David's demeanor seemed to change right before their very eyes. The arrogant, demanding exterior deteriorated until he just seemed haggard, defeated. He ran a hand through his dark hair roughly, making it stick out in all directions, and his face looked as though he'd aged ten years in the past few minutes.

When he spoke again, his voice broke in several different places. "Please…I just need…"

Pops shook his head, his anger diminishing just the slightest though he continued to glare at David as he said, "David, I need you to leave, alright? You can't do this here. I won't allow it."

"I never meant to hurt anyone," his voice was pleading as he repeated himself.

Temperance scowled. "That's not true at all," she blurted out unthinkingly. "He's lying!"

"Bones," Booth hissed. She had a tendency to have an unfiltered mouth - she rarely ever kept herself from speaking the truth, no matter how harsh it was and no matter how inappropriate it was.

Temperance shot him a brief, sideways glance. "Well, it's true," she defended herself. "He wouldn't stop hitting you. He meant to hurt you."

Booth winced.

He knew this, of course. He had long ago stopped giving his father excuses in his mind. That part was mostly his mother's doing when she was alive. Booth had pretty much started resenting those excuses years ago.

That didn't mean, however, that knowing his father had no qualms about hurting him made it easier somehow to accept the fact that he obviously meant so little to the older man.

Pops shot a look at the trembling girl, fear and fierce protectiveness the most prominent emotions in her vivid eyes while her lips were pulled into a scowl. She was still gripping the baseball bat tightly, as though she was prepared to give it another swing if David took a step closer to her and Booth.

Shaking his head slightly at the idea of a scrawny fourteen year old girl defending her older boyfriend against a bigger and stronger man, Pops turned back to face David.

"I'm in trouble, dad," David was saying. "You could help me…Just lend me a couple hundred, dad. Come on…Have a little heart."

Booth was unable to help himself from snorting derisively. "Yeah, because _you_ had so much heart to give to _us_," he commented sarcastically.

David's almost coal black eyes flared dangerously. He lunged forward at the same time that Temperance's eyes widened, bat raised above her head and a scream of terror escaping her lips as she swung. The bat didn't connect with David at all since Pops gripped his shoulder tightly and pulled him backwards just in time.

"Get out," Pops growled out firmly. "Get out right now, David. I mean it. I don't want you here."

Booth and Temperance watched, wide eyed and hearts racing wildly, as Pops led David out of the front door none too gently.

Pops made sure to escort David all the way out of the gates of the beach house and was even generous enough to find him a cab, simply as a way to ensure that he would really be gone and wouldn't just stick around nearby.

Once he'd hailed a cab and had gotten the fairly drunk man into the backseat, he leaned down so that he could speak to David and maintain eye contact.

"I don't want you to come back, David," his voice was low and threatening, and though it broke his heart so badly to practically banish his own son from his life, he had to for the sakes of Booth, Jared and Temperance. He couldn't risk the three of them being around David; not as long as he couldn't kick the habit. "Unless you can clean up your act and get some help, you stay away, you hear me? I'm going to report you to the authorities the next time you pull a stunt like this."

David sneered at Pops. "You wouldn't," he said, confident in his words. "You couldn't - or you'd have done it before."

Pops shook his head, his expression solemn, his eyes fiery. "You don't know the lengths I'd go to protect them, David," he promised. "The way you should have protected them."

He leaned his upper body into the cab, reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of crumpled twenties, tossing them in the cab driver's lap. "Take him as far as this covers the fee," he instructed the driver who nodded with a half smile.

Pops pulled out of the cab, not missing the appraising look David shot at his wallet, and shut the door with a loud slam. He stood there, watching as the cab drove off until it wasn't even visible anymore.

Once he was sure David was gone, Pops let his head drop, squeezing his eyes shut and covering them with his hand. He had never felt more like an old man than he did at that moment.

He allowed himself to wonder, even for one brief moment, what he had ever done in his life that was so horrible that he had to be punished in the form of having to go through something as horrid as kicking out his own son not once but twice in just a few years.

His moment of self-pity and misery was cut short when a car drove by, the loud engine startling him. Shaking himself out of it, Pops reminded himself that he couldn't break down. He had to be the strong, stable one.

He knew Booth - and Jared, if he had been present though Pops hadn't seen him anywhere when he'd returned to the house earlier - were probably traumatized by the incident. Temperance, too, would've had a scare due to her own abusive past and having to suddenly deal with such a violent encounter with a stranger.

As he walked back towards the gates of the house, Pops winced. _God, Temperance_, he thought to himself. _I hope Ms. Briggs doesn't think our family life is too unstable for her or something_. He could only imagine what the social worker would say if she ever found out about the incident.

Catching himself, Pops rolled his eyes. It seemed that, lately, what with all the secrecy that had been going on, he himself had been prone to making decisions about keeping certain things undisclosed to others as long as these secrets weren't hurting anyone.

He re-entered the house, finding Booth and Temperance in the living room. This time, Jared was with them, looking angry and roughened up just the same.

Booth was seated on the arm of the two-seater, and Temperance was standing in between his legs. Their attention were both directed solely on each other though Jared had an ice pack placed to his cut lip that he figured one of the two had gotten for him.

Pops stood silently for a moment, watching as Temperance and Booth both assessed each other's injuries, hands roving tenderly in an attempt to soothe pain. Temperance even had a wet cloth in her hands, slowly and gently cleaning off the blood from his face.

Shaking his head, Pops cleared his throat to gain their attention. "How are you guys doing?" he asked, stepping forward into the room.

Temperance's head snapped up and she looked over her shoulder at him. "I'm fine," she replied, her attention diverted back to Booth. "Jared's got a split lip and a bruised cheek. I think Booth needs to go to the hospital."

Booth glared at Temperance. "I don't need to go to the hospital," he argued. "I'm fine."

As a contradiction to his statement, he winced and hissed in pain when she pressed another ice pack to his swollen eye. She raised her eyebrow, giving him a knowing look.

"I agree with Temperance," Pops said, much to Booth's chagrin. "We're all going. Right now."

Jared started to shake his head. "I'm not even really hurt," he pointed out. "Seeley told me to hide upstairs like I'm some sort of a weenie kid."

Booth's head swung around in Jared's direction too quickly, causing another jolt of pain to rip through his upper body, "I was trying to protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me," Jared seemed far too angry, something that didn't happen the last time around David was in his life.

Booth remembered him being fearful and always asking questions when he was younger, wondering why David was the way he was and why their mother didn't just take them away so they wouldn't have to deal with the abuse and the drinking anymore. Anger, however, hadn't been a part of his reaction, even when their mother had died and their father had up and left.

Jared had been the sad kid, lost without their mother and unsure of what to make of their father's disappearance, becoming strangely dependent on Pops for the longest time. Understandably, of course, since he had been only a child when all of this happened. Even now, he was barely twelve years old.

Booth was the moody, depressed kid who got all angry about their family issues so he wasn't really sure what to make of Jared's new attitude.

_Pops will figure it out_, Booth sighed wearily. _I can't deal with this right now_.

He'll, of course, keep a lookout for Jared - a job requirement as a good big brother - but he himself felt pretty shaken up at the moment. Besides, if there was anyone who could help Jared through whatever angst he was feeling, Booth knew by experience that Pops was the best candidate.

The trip to the hospital was much too eventful for the three of them, especially when they'd gone through something so emotionally exhausting and physically draining.

Pops had to do everything he could, pulling out all stops to make sure that the physician who attended to the three kids wasn't suspicious, citing a fight with other teenagers around their age had caused their injuries.

The last thing they needed was for the doctor to report abuse to the cops - opening an investigation would probably just take Temperance away from their family and that wasn't something desirable at all.

Once they made sure that Booth - who had the most extensive injuries out of the three - had no internal injuries, they headed out of the hospital, all four of them silent.

Temperance kept sneaking looks at Booth, Pops and Jared. It was strange how similar they looked, a frown on their lips, their faces drawn and their eyes dark and pained. It hurt her to see them like that, especially when she considered them family, but it hurt her the most to see Booth so withdrawn.

Their hands were joined, fingers interlaced in between them as they walked towards Debbie's car that Pops had borrowed, and she gave his hand a squeeze in a silent show of support. In what seemed to be the first sign of life from him in close to two hours, Booth took in a deep, haggard breath of air and turned to give her the smallest hint of a forced smile.

The brief moment passed and he was back to being withdrawn all over again.

* * *

><p>Dinner was a tense affair. No one spoke much, and with Debbie gone together with Lydia for the conference in New York City, and things were so uncomfortable that Temperance sat with her spine ramrod stiff the entire time.<p>

Booth mainly stared at his plate, poking at his mashed potatoes sullenly. Unable to control his emotions as much as he'd like to, he had the suffocating feeling that the depression he'd felt before was starting to slowly creep in. He was afraid that he was going to find himself drowning in it, getting so overwhelmed, with no lifeline to speak of.

Jared, on the other hand, couldn't explain the anger he felt bubbling underneath the surface. Ever since that first blow earlier in the day, he had been oddly furious at pretty much everything. He couldn't even give a reason for that anger to himself but everything and everyone around him seemed to piss him off immensely.

Pops lifted his head for a brief moment to shoot his grandsons concerned looks, and ended up catching Temperance's eye. She, too, wore a heavy look of apprehension as she breathed in the tense atmosphere in the air.

Sighing heavily, he lowered his head once more. "Could you pass the gravy?" he asked gruffly after a few more long minutes of unbearable silence.

No one moved from their seats to get it. Several seconds passed before Temperance lowered her fork onto the side of her plate. "I'll, uh…" she trailed off, moving to stand up.

Booth cut her off before she could fully stand up. "No, Bones, sit back down," he urged her quietly, dark brown eyes giving her an assuring look. She slowly sank back down into her seat, watching the two brothers with wary eyes as Booth half-turned his head in Jared's direction. "The gravy's right next to you, Jared. Pass it here."

Jared remained silent, though he did scowl angrily at Booth. "Don't boss me around, Seeley," he snapped. "You're not dad."

Booth raised an eyebrow as they stared at one another. _What the hell?_ Booth thought to himself. _Where the hell did that come from?_ "I wasn't trying to be dad, Jared," he snarked. "I just asked you for a favor."

Jared fell silent again, shrugging noncommittally as his gaze dropped back to his plate of food. He repeatedly stabbed at his steak with his knife, seemingly intent to turn the tenderloin into mush if that was possible.

Booth, exhaling loudly and muttering underneath his breath, scraped his chair back with a loud screech and stood, leaning over Jared to grab the gravy bowl. Plopping back down on his chair, he all but slammed the bowl in between Pops and Temperance. "Help yourself," he growled, going so red in the face that the tips of his ears felt like they were burning.

Things went eerily quiet for the next few moments, none of them moving or touching their food.

All of a sudden, Jared broke the silence, his voice frustrated as he snapped his head around to Booth, "You know, I'm not a kid. I can handle myself."

Booth was torn between being defensive about whatever it was that Jared was accusing him of and being confused because he had no idea what it was in the first place. "I never said you were," he pointed out.

"No, but you think it," Jared argued. "I know you do. You never would've sent me up to my room when dad was here unless you thought I was too much of a scared little kid to handle the situation."

Booth gaped at his younger brother for a good few seconds. "Jared, this argument isn't even making any sense," he gritted out exasperatedly. "I did what I had to do to protect you and now you're angry with me for it?"

Jared nodded. "That's right - I am," he agreed. "And what about dad, huh?"

"What _about_ him?" Booth asked in a tone that suggested Jared was walking on very thin ice.

"He was in trouble," Jared said definitively, as though he knew exactly what was going on in David's life. "He needed our help and you just told him to get out."

This was directed to not only Booth, but to Pops as well. Jared had snuck back downstairs, and had been there to witness Pops' encounter with David after he had calmed himself down enough - right before that, he had been, to his utter embarrassment, crying up in his room. It was something he'd never admit or talk about with anyone, and something he wished he could erase.

Just once, he wished he could have been the stronger one.

Pops, who had allowed the two of them to 'talk' not-so-calmly for the past few minutes, decided to step in. After all, he too had asked David to leave. He shared the so-called blame. "Now, wait just a minute, son," he started gently.

Jared interrupted him, shaking his head. "You know, dad could've been in deep trouble, Seeley," he said in a disapproving tone. "Just because he was a little unsteady on his feet-"

"Jared, he was drunk," Booth pointed out, annoyed. "He just came here to try and scam Aunt Lydia for cash so he could feed his sick ha-"

"He asked for help," Jared countered immediately, speaking over Booth's words, his voice rising an octave or two. "You don't know why he needed help. You don't know it's something more."

But Booth was shaking his head. "If he really wanted the kind of help you're wishing he's asking for," he sounded condescending enough to make Jared's entire face flush in anger. "He wouldn't have come here drunk like that, Jar."

"Why are you so intent on making him out to be the bad guy!" Jared, to his mortification, had tears swimming in his eyes now. "Why do you have to just see the bad side of him?"

Booth uttered a curse under his breath, rubbing his palm down his face wearily. "Am I the only one who remembers our childhood, Jared?" he demanded angrily. "I don't understand why you want to defend him so much, especially when he's in that mood."

"And I don't understand why you have to be such an asshole!" Jared yelled, shooting up from his seat, prompting Booth to do the same.

Pops shot both boys reprimanding looks, holding up his palms. "Hey, hey, okay, hold on," he shushed them sternly before lowering his tone to a much gentler one. "A lot of things happened today, okay? I think we all need to just sleep on it tonight."

Seeing that neither of his grandsons looked like they were backing down, Pops added, "I mean it. I don't want you two fighting, you hear?"

Booth and Jared, locked in a stare off, remained in their tensed positions as though they're both ready to lunge at each other at the sign of an eye twitch. Finally, though, Booth's shoulders relaxed minimally and he rocked back on his heels. Looking away from Jared, he gave a curt nod to his grandfather and sat back down.

Jared wasn't at all pacified. His fight with Booth had seemed like the catalyst, opening up a floodgate's worth of confusing, conflicting, intense emotions. Now it seemed like he was trying to look for an outlet to ease the burden of said emotions, his stomach rolling around sickly.

"I'm going up to my room," he snapped rather childishly at his grandfather, shoving his chair backwards so hard that it banged loudly against the wall a few feet behind it.

Pops and Temperance watched worriedly as he stormed out of the room.

"Should someone go talk to him?" Temperance asked blankly. She had never seen Jared that riled up, either, and it shook her up a little. She knew she wouldn't be the right person to talk to him but maybe Pops could go.

Then maybe she could have some time to talk to Booth and ask if he was doing alright. She'd asked him this earlier but even though he kept insisting he was fine, she had the feeling that he'd gotten steadily worse throughout the day.

Pops shook his head, sinking back down in his seat with an exhausted grunt. "No, he needs to cool off," he decided.

The remaining three fell silent, awkwardly staring at their own cold plates of food. No one felt like eating yet no one seemed to be able to leave.

Finally, though, unable to sit at the table any longer, Booth shook his head and stood up. "I'm gonna head up," he muttered sullenly, moving to grab his plate.

"I'll take care of that," Pops waved him away.

Booth, who would usually argue about that since he had a tendency to want to keep Pops' work load as light as possible, didn't even bat an eyelash. "Fine, whatever," he didn't shove his chair back as hard as Jared had but it was still clear that he was in a bad mood, too.

"Hey," Pops called out as Booth stood. "Don't go antagonizing your brother, okay? You're both tired and angry - now's not a good time to hash anything out."

Booth nodded and turned to leave. He'd barely made one step when Temperance's voice called out to him, soft and small and unsure. It startled him a little because 'unsure' wasn't a word he'd use to describe Temperance when she was around him. Not for a long time now.

"Booth," she spoke up and he halted, turning to face her after a moment's hesitation. "Are you…" she faltered, biting her lip. "Um, I just…I…Are you okay?"

He stared at her for the longest moment, and it scared her how his usually friendly face was so hard and how his beautifully expressive eyes were so dull and vacant.

"Yeah," he said finally, his tone as empty as his words. "I'm fine."

Temperance frowned as she watched Booth retreat out of the dining room, his spine stiffened and his muscles as tensed as ever. His expression had been so hardened all throughout dinner, and his eyes had been hollow and dark in a way that they had never been before

She had never seen him like that before and she had to admit that it scared her. She wasn't frightened of _him_ - she honestly didn't think that would ever happen - but she was frightened of him getting lost in whatever dark emotions he was feeling.

After all, hadn't he told her once that he'd gone through depression for quite a long time the last time his father had left his life?

After that day out on the lake, Booth had never mentioned his abusive past. Not much, anyway. She didn't blame him. Despite the abuse she'd received in several foster homes, none of those people were people she'd loved. None of them had been family to her. For him, however…It must have been a thousand times worse.

Now her heart was so very heavy with worry, concerned that she couldn't help him through whatever he was going through at the moment.

"Aw, don't worry, little lady," Pops said softly, his eyes fixed on her as she kept frowning after Booth's retreating back. "He'll be fine."

Temperance tore her eyes away from the direction Booth had gone in only to look skeptically at Pops. "How can you be sure?" she asked him disbelievingly. "I mean…Do you know for sure?"

Pops shrugged, the saddened look on his face causing him to look much older than he usually did. "I can't say for certain," he allowed. "But he's got family around to help him."

"And you think that's enough?"

Pops smiled a little. "Believe it or not," he sighed heavily. "It was worse the last time around." When she gave no sign of confusion, Pops' suspicion that she'd already been told of Booth's depression was cemented. He couldn't help but be impressed - he knew for a fact that his oldest nephew hated talking about that period in his life. "And if he could make it back then, he could make it back now."

Her voice was impossibly small, matching her fragile looking expression, "Do you really think so?"

Pops nodded, reaching out to ruffle her hair adoringly. "Yes," he answered firmly. "I do. You know why?"

She shook her head, the worried look still very prominent on her face.

He smiled. "He's got more than just us this time. He's got you, too," he almost chuckled when he saw a fierce blush spreading across her ivory skin. Almost; he wasn't rid of enough gloom yet.

"I won't be much help," she argued, shaking her head. "I don't know what to do at all."

"You don't have to know - you'll help even when you don't know you are."

She frowned at him, her eyebrows furrowed together. "Pops…That makes no sense at all," she informed him morosely.

He gently placed his hand on top of her head. "You'll see," was all he said, cryptically. Patting her on the back, he said, "It's getting late, Tempe. Why don't you go on to bed?"

Temperance sighed and nodded. "Yes, you're right," she agreed wearily. "I'll help you with the dishes first."

Pops shook away her help. "No, don't," he advised. "Just leave it."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded firmly. "Yes. Go on," he tilted his head to the side, signaling for her to leave.

Pops watched her stand up, his mind only half present. "Wait," he called out just as she was about to head for the side door leading to the backyard.

He had only just remembered that she didn't actually sleep in the same building as the rest of them, but up in the guest house above the pool, all by herself. "Do you want to stay here tonight? You can take my room - I'll sleep on the couch," he offered kindly.

Temperance looked taken aback by his offer. "Why would I want that?" she asked in her usual blunt manner.

He had to be even a little amused at the confused expression she was wearing. "I just…" he sighed, struggling to express his concern. "After everything that happened today, I wouldn't blame you if you're scared to stay alone out there…If you don't want to stay in the guest house, you could always sleep in my room."

Temperance smiled abashedly back at Pops. "Thank you for the offer, Pops," she said sincerely. It made her feel slightly awkward, though endlessly grateful, that he would think of her at all. "But I'm not scared to stay alone."

"You sure?" he asked her worriedly.

Blushing, she nodded. "I'm sure," she assured him. "Goodnight, Pops."

"'Night, Tempe."

She waved goodnight to him before heading outside. Like she had told Pops, she wasn't the least bit scared of staying on her own. She didn't think David was coming back to the beach house anytime soon, and even if she had been scared, the pathway leading from the backyard garden to the guest house above the pool was lit by lights.

Once she was back in her new, temporary place of residence, Temperance sighed, sinking down on the edge of her bed with a weary groan. She arched her back, linking her fingers together and raising her arms over her head to stretch her tensed muscles.

She had never felt as tired as she did at that exact moment. All that had happened during the day had drained her so much, though she hadn't realized it until just now when everything was quiet.

Deciding she needed to relax and perhaps go to sleep, Temperance quickly entered her en-suite bathroom - once again marveling at the luck she'd suddenly been bequeathed with - and taking a shower.

Changed into her sleep clothes, Temperance settled under the covers only to discover that despite her contradicting weariness, she was wide awake and unable to sleep at all. After a good twenty minutes of tossing and turning, she sat upright, shoving the comforter off of her with an indignant huff. Her eyes roved the pretty, rustic bedroom until they rested on doorway leading to the balcony outside.

Biting her lip, she hesitated for a moment before scrambling off the bed, grabbing her copy of the Scarlet Letter and the afghan blanket hanging over the back of the couch in the seating area. Slipping through the antique finished door, Temperance stepped outside onto the balcony. There was a pair of lounge chaises and a small round coffee table sitting outside, just a few feet away from the stairs leading down to the back path, and she dropped into one, wrapping a blanket loosely around her to shield her from the cool air.

She was halfway through the latest chapter when she caught a slight movement from the corner of her eye. Raising her head, Temperance frowned as she looked out over the flower bushes. She could see quite clearly despite how late it was - there were lights hidden in the bushes, as well. The figure she saw she could recognize anywhere, in a heartbeat.

"Booth…?" she whispered, watching as he snuck quietly down the sandy path leading to the beach in Aunt Lydia's backyard.

She had no idea what he was doing out so late - it was near midnight now and she was pretty sure Pops would never allow him to go out so late, even if it was only to go to the beach nearby - and she had no idea why he was headed there. She sat there, staring into the direction he'd gone in, contemplating whether she should go after him.

_No_, she decided. _He made it clear earlier that he wants to be alone, to think. I should respect that_.

Settling back into her chaise, Temperance tried to find a comfortable spot though it wasn't easy since her spine was so stiff with anxiety, and her mind was so overrun with worry for Booth that she stayed on the same page for God knew how long, reading and re-reading the same line over and over again and not retaining a single word.

Her head kept popping up from her book every few seconds, distracting her further, as she glanced towards the beach and towards the watch on her wrist. She had to keep reminding herself, as the time went by, that she needed to give Booth time.

Of course, by the time two hours had gone by and he was still nowhere to be seen coming up the pathway to the house, her worries had taken over completely. Deciding to wait just five more minutes before going out on a search for him, Temperance put her book on the small table in front of her, fixing hawk-like eyes on the path.

Once the minutes flew by, faster than the two hours that had crawled by so slowly, Temperance threw the afghan aside, leapt out of the chaise and darted back inside her room. Shrugging on her knee length, navy blue pea coat, Temperance hurriedly searched her room for a flashlight.

She knew Booth always insisted on both of them having one each in their respective rooms, and had insisted that they'd brought it with them. It was either a boy scout habit, or something spurred on by his past - she knew that she herself had plenty of times hid in dark places like small closets or basements or underneath the bed, and had learnt over time to carry a flashlight with her everywhere she went for the longest time.

She found it in one of the hidden compartments in her luggage, flicking it on and off a few times to make sure it worked just fine. Once she was sure it did, she slipped out of the door and rushed down the steps.

She walked down the sandy shore, waving the flashlight around the darkened beach. She must have walked for over twenty minutes before she saw the silhouette of a figure a few feet away. She sped up slightly, pushing her long, lean legs as far as they could go.

Booth was sitting down on the beach, his legs drawn up and his arms wrapped around his knees. His feet were bare, shoes tossed haphazardly on his left, his toes digging into the sand. The water that kept rolling back onto the beach didn't touch him at all, the sweatpants he wore completely dry.

He didn't seem like he realized she was there at all, but when she spoke and he didn't start, she knew that he'd seen her. "Hey," she murmured softly, letting the beam of light from her torchlight fall to the sand.

He didn't answer, just continued to stare out onto the blackened ocean, his jaw clenched and his expression remained painfully neutral.

Sighing, Temperance sank down on his right. She had been so worried for him earlier when he'd been gone for hours, but now that she'd found him, she had no idea how to comfort him. Was she supposed to say something? She wasn't very good with words, especially during moments when emotions were involved. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to offer some form of physical comfort, either.

It made her feel very awkward, so she mimicked his position, placing the flashlight next to her and looking out at the sea. Her mind ran a mile a minute, her heart thudding a tad faster than normal, as unbidden thoughts surged through her mind, a million scenarios playing out as she tried to find a way to ask him if he was fine. She didn't want him to be as detached as he had been earlier. It just wasn't _Booth_ to her.

She didn't have to worry, however, because he was the one who spoke first. "I love coming to the beach at night," he sighed, startling her completely - they had sat there next to each other, in silence, for so long that she had gotten used to only the sound of the crashing waves in the background.

Turning her head in his direction, she gave him a confused look. "Excuse me?" her brows furrowed together.

"There's a certain kind of peace here at night," he continued on, still staring out into the ocean, his face still tight with tension. "Back when I was a kid, and we'd come here…I'd always sneak out of the house at night just to come here. Think. Clear my head, you know?"

She bit her lip, eyeing him concernedly. "I…" she trailed off, unsure what exactly she was supposed to say to that. "I'm sorry…Do you want me to leave?" she finally came up with.

He ignored that. "I feel safe here," he exhaled once more, as though it was hard for him to breathe normally, and he had to inhale and exhale loudly, deeply, several times. "I don't know why. Maybe because it's so quiet. I just…I'd do everything I can to make sure we always come here during the summer. I just feel so safe here."

She nodded. "I'm glad you have a place like that," she said softly.

Booth fell silent for a few moments, and when he spoke again, his voice was tight, as though he was trying his hardest not to cry. It felt like he was, too, which was embarrassing because he hadn't cried for a long time, especially not in front of anyone else. _Especially_ not in front of a beautiful girl.

"All I had to do was come here," he said, confusing her. "You know, back then. I'd sneak out here at night and I'd have to wait just a little while, and everything…The world doesn't seem so bleak. Even just for one night. I'd sit right here, and I'd get…I'd get serenity."

To his embarrassment, as he turned to look at her, his eyes started clouding up with tears he'd tried his hardest to keep at bay ever since David had slugged him the first time that day. "I have been sitting here for two hours, Bones," his voice shook a little. "And I haven't been at peace _once_."

"Booth…" Temperance whispered, her concern for him escalating.

He shook his head, blinking back the tears. A few escaped his eyes, anyway, and leaked at the sides. "I sat here for two hours, and all I got were bad memories and the most sickening feeling… I didn't understand it," he continued quietly. "But then you came here - and the world grew quiet again."

She reeled back in shock, wide eyes blinking at him in bewilderment.

He _almost_ laughed.

Instead he reached out, gently brushing back a few strands of hair from her pretty face, before letting his hand fall. "You came along and everything's better somehow," he whispered, keeping his eyes locked on her baby blues.

"Everything's peaceful. When you're around, I feel like everything's going to be okay somehow," his voice had broken in several places as he spoke, showing her just how upset and lost he felt. It made her heart clench to hear that.

Seeing the tears welling up again in his eyes - something that unnerved her greatly because Booth was anything but a weak man - Temperance decided to do what she felt desperately like doing. Shifting herself onto her knees, she inched closer to him then climbed into his lap, her legs on either side of his torso.

He embraced her immediately, his shaking hands moving erratically, arms wrapping around her waist to pull her as close to him as humanly possible, hands moving up to tangle in her hair.

Her own arms went around him, hands smoothing up and down his back repeatedly in a comforting gesture he'd used on her many times before.

As he pressed his throbbing forehead against hers, another tear fell from his eye. One of her hands immediately retracted from his back, and her thumb gently wiped at the fallen tear. The sweet gesture only served to choke him up even more.

"I feel safe with you," he whispered, their faces so close to one another that his breath blew across her face as he spoke. "Safer than I've ever felt anywhere in my life."

A sad smile stole across her lips. "That's good," she whispered back. "Because I feel safe with you, too."

One of his hands softly cupped the side of her head, and he was careful not to irritate the purplish bruise on her cheek as he gently traced the unblemished skin around it. "I didn't keep you very safe today," he reminded her, a self deprecating tenor so obvious in his voice.

"It's not always about you keeping me safe, Booth," she corrected him softly. "Sometimes it's about me protecting you."

"You did that today," he agreed, nodding his head slightly.

"Yes," she murmured, her hand brushing through his hair, fingers gently scraping against his scalp in a manner that had his eyes fluttering for a moment. "You mean so much to me, Booth. I'll always protect you."

His hand had gripped her hair, and his lips fused themselves on hers, pulling her in with an almost magnetic force that had her craving to be closer and closer. Their bodies were pressed so closely to one another that she could feel his heart pounding furiously in his chest, as she was sure he could feel hers.

Their lips were parted, their tongues meeting in a fierce duel. The tightening in her belly - the one that she was now familiar with thanks to her escalating physical relationship with Booth - made her feel guilty because she knew he was hurting and she didn't think feeling aroused when your boyfriend was hurting was a sign of a good girlfriend.

But he kept drawing her closer, and her stomach kept clenching, and her arms tightened around him.

Finally, though, after what seemed like hours, he pulled away. Both of them were panting heavily, and she was sure her eyes were as clouded and heavy-lidded as his were.

One of her arms were still wrapped around his neck, the fingers of her other hand gently caressing the side of his neck. Booth simply gazed at her for a long moment and though his breathing returned to normal after a few minutes, his heart continued to beat as furiously as before.

He leaned his head down and she thought he was going to kiss her again, her lips parting in anticipation, but instead his lips fell on the corner of her mouth, pressing a sweet kiss there, before trailing up her jaw and making a circuit to her ear and back towards her cheek. When he reached her bruise, he lightly brushed his lips near it and nuzzled his nose at its side.

She smiled, giving him a sweet kiss when he finally, reluctantly, pulled back.

Booth's eyes roved over Temperance's porcelain face, enamored once more by how beautiful she was. His fingers kept raking gently through her hair, keeping a steady pattern she enjoyed immensely.

He had been fighting a battle to tell her something for a few weeks now, and though he'd planned on telling her in a special way - maybe at a candlelit dinner, or during their 'anniversary date night' - his heart was bursting to tell her tonight. He felt like he just had to.

_It might not be the most romantic way to tell her_, he thought to himself. _But it's something I need to do right now. I need her to know_.

"Bones," he whispered. "I need to tell you something."

The smile on her face flickered for a moment. He wasn't frowning nor did he looked as upset as he did when she'd found him earlier. In fact, he looked calmer, better. His eyes were still sad, however, so she couldn't tell if whatever it was he wanted to tell her was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Okay," she said anyway.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself but all it seemed to do was multiply the butterflies in his stomach every time he inhaled and exhaled. However, the familiar, comforting scent of her - something he could clearly latch on to considering how close they were at the moment - did help.

"I love you."

Her mouth fell open, a gasp of surprise lodged in her throat, her eyes growing as round and as huge as saucers. Her entire body had stiffened in shock.

Seeing all of this, he hurried to explain. "I'm not expecting anything out of you," he was hasty to assure her. "You don't have to say it back or anything. I just wanted to let you know."

"_Booth_…" she whispered, her voice so low, so full of awe. "You love me?"

He nodded, his eyes darting around her entire face to gauge if her reaction was a good one or a bad one.

She bit her lip, the light in her eyes dimming slightly. "Booth…After everything that's happened today…" she trailed off unsurely. "Maybe you're just, um, I don't know, shocked or something and-"

Comprehending where she was going with this, he shook his head fervently. "No, no," he waved her suggestion aside. "I've been wanting to tell you this for weeks, Bones. But I didn't because at first I just thought it was too soon - we've only been dating for a few months - and then, when I figured I was ready to tell you, I just wanted it to be romantic."

"Oh."

He nodded, his eyes still on hers though he didn't allow himself to analyze her every expression as he ploughed on almost hurriedly. "But then today happened and sitting here with you…I just needed to tell you," he said lamely. "I don't know why but I needed you to know."

She didn't understand his logic one bit, and his words had shaken her up so completely, so she blurted out, "Love is just the product of certain chemicals in the body."

Booth had to roll his eyes at the very Temperance Brennan reply he'd just gotten.

Cupping the sides of her head in his palms, he leaned in closer to murmur against her lips. "So you say it's chemicals, I say it's the heart," he shrugged slightly. "Call it whatever you want - it's still love."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "You love me," she repeated, though her voice wasn't as unsteady as before and she stated more than asked this time.

He nodded yet again. "Yes, I do," he smiled too. "I love you. I love you very much, Temperance."

As their lips drew nearer, Temperance whispered, "I…I don't know what to say, Booth."

"No, don't say anything," he murmured softly. "Not now. Not unless you're ready. I already told you - I'm not expecting anything in return."

"You just wanted me to know?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"I love you, Bones."

Her smile was wide this time, as bright as the sparkle in her blue eyes as she locked her gaze with him. "Yes," she agreed happily, feeling oddly giddy for some reason. "I know."

Their kiss was different than the one they'd shared prior to his admission - it was softer, more tender…Intimate somehow - made up of a thousand smaller, sweet kisses that left her toes curling and her mind strangely foggy.

His hand had just snaked underneath her jacket and sleep shirt, fingers tenderly stroking the soft skin of her lower back, when rain started pouring down unexpectedly, heavily.

Temperance gasped, wrenching her lips away from his to blink up in shock at the sky. In the few seconds it had started to rain, they were both already soaked to their bones. She dropped her head back to look at him, startled slightly when she saw that his intense gaze hadn't left her. He seemed to be oblivious to the rain that had started out of the blue, his focus only on her.

It made her blush, but she smiled at him anyway. "Come on," she said quietly, moving to climb off of him, standing up and pulling him up with her by the hand.

He grabbed his shoes and she grabbed her flashlight and, with clasped hands, they took off in a run back towards the beach house.

By the time they'd reached the back path to the house, the heavy downpour had ceased completely, stopping just as suddenly and without warning as it had started, leaving the two of them shivering in their drenched clothes.

Despite how light he had felt back at the beach, Temperance in his arms, his heart exposed to her, he was starting to lose the euphoria. Being back at the beach house…It brought back the horrible memories of the day.

He didn't want to go back up to the house, didn't want to pass the living room he didn't think he'd ever be able to step into again without remembering what his father had done there.

The beach house used to be a haven. Even when they were kids, David had never allowed himself to get drunk when surrounded by his sister and his father. He knew that they would never allow for his out of control alcoholism to hurt Booth and Jared if they ever found out. Now it was as though his haven had been violated, and the peace ruined.

With every step, his shoulders drooped further, his heart grew heavier, his eyes became sadder and he had to drag his feet against wet gravel, almost unwilling to go back despite the promise of a warm set of clothes and a soft bed.

As though she could read his mind, as though she understood what he was feeling so perfectly, Temperance halted to a stop as they neared the house. She turned around, her hand still clasped in his.

Her deep blue eyes, a color so stunningly vivid he didn't think anyone else in the world had eyes like hers, pierced through him, making him feel like she was seeing right through to his charred soul.

"Do you want to come stay with me for the night?" she asked him quietly. She didn't say anything else, didn't justify her offer or tell him that she knew how he must be feeling. She remained silent, just watching him for an answer.

Without speaking a word, Booth simply nodded a 'yes'.

So instead of going left back to the main house, Temperance led him to their right. They climbed up the steps leading up to the back of the guest house and entered through the door that was still wide open.

She finally released his hand as they stepped through the threshold, turning around to close the door behind them.

"Come on," she urged him, her voice still soft even though they were in no danger of being overheard. "Come with me."

Wordlessly, he followed her past the sitting area and past her bed, and into the en-suite bathroom. It was as pretty and as feminine as the bedroom, the walls a soft sage green and the floor tiles were made of terracotta. There were pretty flowers in small pots and sweet scented candles everywhere.

He barely paid attention to the details he knew Deb must have slaved over. Instead, his eyes were fixed on Temperance as she slowly peeled off her wet jacket and threw them into the dryer.

"You should dry your clothes, too," she told him. "Maybe take a warm shower if you want? Or a bath. A bath is good…You-you must be freezing cold."

He blinked at her.

"I'll, uh, I'll wait outside," she muttered. "Just…Um, take your time."

As she move past him, his arm suddenly reached in her direction, his fingers closing around her wrist. She stopped, turning her head to look at him, bewildered.

"Stay with me?"

His voice was as hoarse and as sad as they were back at the beach before their kiss, and the intensity in his eyes compelled her to say "Yes, of course."

Despite the fact that neither of them had ever done something like this before, creating a sense of awkwardness that he tamped down easier than she did, their movements were still fluid, their minds in synched.

She didn't make a move towards the shower. Instead, she went up to the pretty copper bath tub she'd loved ever since her first night at the beach house, and turned on the tap to fill it up.

She looked around, eyeing the bottles of shampoo and soap she'd placed on top of the garden chair she'd moved to the side of the tub from the bathroom sitting area near the window. Not seeing what she wanted, she went towards the cabinet and smiled slightly when she took out a jar of the bath salts she'd found her first night in the guest house.

She lifted the ribbon adorned lid off of the glass jar and tipped it so that a handful of the bath salts would fall into the water. Putting the lid back on, she placed the jar on top of the wicker ottoman at the sitting area, snatching up the small square wicker basket full of accessories like a soft, small towel and a loofah. She placed the basket on the garden chair as well before turning around to face Booth.

He was leaning against the storage cabinet, still wearing his drenched clothes, though his shoes and socks were off to the side of the wicker laundry hamper. His arms were crossed over his chest, watching her move with an undefined expression on his face.

She stared right back at him for a few moments, breaking her gaze only once to turn off the tap once the tub was full enough. Drawing her bottom lip between her teeth, she chewed on it for a few seconds before asking softly, "Do you still want me to stay?"

He gazed at her silently before nodding once. "Yes, please stay."

She nodded, and they moved together - she stepped around the tub and he pushed away from the cabinet - stepping closer to one another until they were barely a foot apart.

Their eyes locked on one another, they moved as though in a practiced dance. Their actions weren't sexual in any way, though they were intimate just the same as they peeled off their wet clothes off their cold skin.

They didn't kiss and they only touched when Temperance climbed into the tub after Booth, straddling him the same way she had at the beach. Their touch weren't meant to be in any way inappropriate, just a way to comfort one another.

Her small, nimble hands caressed the smooth, tanned skin of his chest, sending shivers down his spine. She grabbed a bar of lavender soap from the decorative soap caddy at the side of the tub and gently ran it up and down and all around his upper torso, his arms and his neck.

"I'm gonna smell all girly," he said softly, not really complaining.

She smiled, leaning in closer so that she could nudge his cheek with her nose. "That's okay," she assured him. "You'll just smell like me."

"I can live with that," he agreed. He cupped his hand, scooping water with his palm and poured it on her back and her thigh.

Reaching out with his right arm, Booth took hold of the small towel from the wicker basket she'd placed on the chair earlier. He dipped the soft towel into the sudsy water before running it repeatedly, gently over Temperance's back..

She smiled, reveling in the loving attention of his hands, and tried to return the favor for him.

They stayed in the water, just bathing one other even when they were both clean simply for the chance to continue being in each other's embrace, until the water had gotten so cold that they were shivering.

"We should get out of the tub," Booth said to Temperance, even as he continued to run the loofah repeatedly over her skin.

Temperance, who had her arms around him, her head resting in the crook of his neck as she snuggled into his body, sighed. The puff of air hit the side of his neck, making him smile slightly. "Okay," she replied lazily. She made not a single move to get up.

He allowed himself to relax into her for a few moments but when he felt her shiver once more, he finally moved. Nuzzling the top of her head, he breathed in her scent and pressed a kiss to her forehead before standing up, taking her with him as his arms were still around her.

She sighed again as she gave him one final squeeze around the neck before stepping away from him. Blushing slightly, she yanked a light pink towel from the towel rack and wrapped it around her body. She had just spent almost an hour buck naked with Booth so being self conscious all of a sudden made absolutely no sense whatsoever, but she couldn't help herself.

"I'll…Uh, I'm gonna go put on some clothes," even the words made her blush brighter.

He nodded wordlessly, watching with dark eyes as she turned on her heel, one hand clutching at the towel knot she'd made underneath her arm.

Sighing, he looked over at his wet clothes on the floor. Bending over, he grabbed them and wrinkled his nose when he saw the muddied stains on his pants. The sand on the beach had turned muddy when the rain had started pouring so suddenly. He threw his pants, his shirt and his jacket into the washing machine at the far corner of the bathroom, just throwing in his boxers in the dryer. He figured he needed to wash off the sand of his clothes, anyway.

Once he had dried himself and threw on his newly dried pair of boxers, he turned the knob of the bathroom door and tentatively stepped outside into the bedroom.

His eyes immediately fell on the bed. The sheets were messed up, but Temperance wasn't on it.

Heart thudding, a bout of panic at the irrational thought that she'd found everything that had transpired that day to be too much for her to handle and had somehow ran off, Booth swept the room with anxious eyes.

Of course, she hadn't run off at all. _Where would she go in the middle of the night?_ Booth scoffed to himself. _Not that I'd blame her if she _did_ want to run. My life is so messed up_.

He found her drying and brushing her hair in front of the mirror, a faraway look on her face.

He had to hold in a gasp when he saw what she was wearing - a mid-thigh length white nightgown, with white lace trim at the bust and the hem of the nightgown, and a purple satin ribbon trim at the top.

He had no idea she slept in things like that, or where she'd gotten something like that, but it did nothing to help him calm down, especially after spending an hour with her, naked.

Not wanting to startle her too much, he cleared his throat quietly. She turned around at the noise, smiling shyly when she saw him. "Hi," she murmured.

"Hi," he said back. He really had no idea why he was being so bashful, but it wasn't like seeing her naked one time would rid him of all timidity.

They stared at one another for a long moment before Booth cleared his throat again. He jerked his thumb at the couch. "I'm just gonna…Uh…"

Temperance's gaze followed the direction he was pointing at, and her smile slipped slightly. "Oh," she said, sounding just a tad disappointed. "I thought you were going to sleep in the bed."

His eyebrows furrowed together. "I can't let _you_ sleep on the couch," he scoffed.

Temperance blushed furiously as she shook her head, "No…I-I meant we could sleep on the bed _together_." At his hesitance, she frowned, reminding him, "We've fallen asleep together before, Booth."

"Yeah," he agreed. "But we've never fallen asleep together after we…" he waved his hand between them, trailing off lamely.

She quirked an eyebrow. "Took a bath together?" she finished his sentence for him. He nodded, averting her gaze. She chuckled nervously even as she said in what she hoped was a nonchalant tone, "We didn't have sex, Booth."

He choked a little on air.

"We just took a bath."

"Yeah - _naked_," he hissed.

Noting his slightly panicked expression, she frowned. "Are you regretting it?" she asked him, and he noticed the hurt look in her eyes, noticed it in her voice. "It didn't seem like you did in the bathroom…"

He shook his head. "No, no, that's not it," he sighed, running a hand through his still slightly damp hair. "I just…I don't want us to do something we're not ready for."

"Why would we do that?" she questioned him curiously, tilting her head to the side.

The look she gave him was pure Bambi. It made his heart clench with emotion. _God, what this girl does to me_, he thought with an internal chuckle.

"I mean, I suppose we have been more physical with one another lately," she allowed, thinking over their last few encounters when they'd been completely alone with each other. "But I think we both know we're not ready to have sex yet."

Booth gave her a weary grin. "Bones," he half-groaned, half-laughed. "I'm a guy. All I know is that I just saw the woman I love naked. It does things to me."

He froze, his smile vanishing and his eyes locked on hers as though he was a frightened deer and she was a hungry lioness. It was as though he had spoken without thinking and now had just realized he'd said the 'L' word again, thrown into conversation so carelessly.

Temperance, too, had frozen up.

While she had been taken aback when he had said it back at the beach and even more taken aback at how happy it had made her feel that he'd said it, she still wasn't sure if he really meant it. She needed time to process it.

She had, admittedly, been thinking of nothing but this 'I love you' thing ever since they'd sat together in the bathtub. They hadn't spoken much to one another, just staying in a very intimate embrace until the water ran cold and they'd gotten out. She'd spent nearly a whole hour trying to make sense of her own emotions.

She wasn't clueless enough that she didn't know that even if he didn't expect an answer out of her now, he would need an answer out of her soon enough. She couldn't blame him - if things were reverse, she wondered how long _she_ would wait to hear those words herself.

Now, she had been taken by surprise all over again. She had no idea how people in love acted in relationships. Her brother had never been in love with any of his girlfriends before so she couldn't make a comparison. She had seen her own parents in love for the first twelve years of her life, but they were adults so she wasn't sure if they were even on the same playing field.

Not knowing what to say, and wishing more than anything that the awkwardness between them would disappear into thin air, Temperance blurted out, "The couch isn't good for your back!"

Booth blinked at her in shock, unsure where _that_ outburst had come from. "What?" he asked dumbly.

"The-the couch," she stuttered idiotically. "It's, um, it's not good for your back. Let's just…Go to bed."

He stared at her anxiously. "Are you sure?" his voice was so low it could be a whisper.

She nodded, offering him a small smile. "Yes," she replied bluntly. "We're just going to sleep. I don't mind, Booth."

He nodded along with her. "Okay," he agreed, internally giving himself pep talks to not embarrass himself by being all handsy with her and ending up with a broken nose or something. He'd seen her right hook earlier and he wasn't eager to be on the receiving end of it.

She put her brush away and walked past him to throw her wet towel into the hamper. He almost groaned out loud as he caught the scent of her as she passed him. They'd taken a bath together and used all the same products but it wasn't like he went around sniffing himself. She smelled so good, so nice and clean and pure and pretty…

_Be good, Seeley_, he reminded himself with a scold. _Behave_.

He silently wondered if he could blame it on not being able to control his actions while he was sleeping if he ended up groping her in her sleep.

Yeah, that didn't sound perverted at all, he thought with a roll of his eyes.

"Booth?" he heard her slightly husky voice calling to him. Blinking out of his stupor, he realized that she had already climbed into bed and was now looking at him expectantly, a frown on her face. "Are you coming to bed?"

He swallowed and, not trusting himself to speak and not do something embarrassing like squeak out loud, he nodded, stepping unsteadily forward until he reached the bed. Smiling nervously at her, he slipped into bed with her.

He laid on his side of the bed, stock still and as stiff as a board. Temperance mimicked his position, turning her head every few seconds to look at Booth. Finally, she shifted onto her side and propped her head up with her elbow. "Are you really going to lie like that all night?" she asked him exasperatedly.

He sighed, tilting his head back before turning on his side to face her as well. "I'm sorry," he said sheepishly. "I just wanted to make sure I didn't…You know, get too handsy or something."

She looked at him as if she was concerned this was some sort of actual medical condition. "Is that something you can't control?"

"No, babe, not in that sense," he was interrupted by her sharply telling him not to call her 'babe'.

He chuckled half-heartedly.

"I just…I love you," there was that 'L' word again. He didn't even seem like he realized he'd said it, which probably unnerved her more than if he did. "And we both just went through something horrible today. Not to mention the fact that I just saw you naked just a couple of minutes ago."

She blushed once again at the reminder. "That doesn't mean you have to lay there so awkwardly, Booth," she shook her head, giggling shyly.

He nodded. "You're right," he agreed with her, reaching out with his free hand to brush his fingers through her silken locks.

She caught a slight hint of mischief in his eyes - the sparkle was far less bright than it was before David's reappearance in his life, but it was there nonetheless and it gave her hope that he would recover from it. "C'mere," his tone was playful as his arm wrapped around her middle and rolled her on top of him.

She laughed, giving a squeal of surprise at his sudden move, and they rolled back and forth on the huge bed, their arms wrapped around each other. They stopped with Temperance lying on top of Booth. She gave him a cheeky smile as she shifted on top of him, intentionally jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow a few times.

"Ow," he laughed, groaning. "Bones…"

A teasing smile lit on her face. "Just trying to distract you from whatever inappropriate thoughts you might have," she joked.

His laughter was warm and reverberated through both their bodies as Temperance snuggled into him, their bodies aligned together. She folded her arms on his chest and rested her chin on the back of her hand.

Booth's laughter ceased and he gazed at her concernedly. "What's wrong, baby?"

She ignored the term of endearment, her eyes searching his for a long moment. "It's just…" she sighed. "I know you said you're not expecting anything out of me…"

Already knowing where this conversation was headed, Booth hastened to assure her, "I'm not."

She nodded, "But at some point, I'm going to have to react to this, right?" Even he had to agree with that. "I just want you to know that…I've never, well, I'm just…I'm not sure how it feels to be in love. I've never had that before."

"That's reasonable," he cupped her cheek tenderly. "But, you know, I've never been in love before you, either. I just know that I _am_ in love with you."

She shrugged slightly. "That's different - you're _Booth_," she argued. At his raised eyebrow, she explained, "You're not as awkward about your emotions as I am."

"First of all - I'm not an emotional guy," he pretended to scowl at this. Seeing her smile again, anxiety all but gone, made him chuckle. "And secondly, I think you're cute when you're all weird and awkward."

She rolled her eyes, unfolding her arms and slapping his chest not so lightly. "I'm serious, Booth," she said after their playfulness had dissipated slightly. "Someday you're going to want an answer out of me, and I need you to know the truth."

Taking a deep breath and steeling herself to go through with the plan she'd come up with when she'd gotten dressed after their bath, she decided on telling the truth. "And the truth is - I don't know if what I feel for you is love," she confessed.

"All I do know is that I _adore_ you very much," the soft smile that curved on her lips made him fall even just a tiny bit more in love with her. "I feel very strongly about you and I could say, with absolute certainty , that I would be devastated if you were gone from my life."

Before she knew it, she was lying on her back, Booth hovering over her. "Aw, baby…" he whispered lovingly. She was surprised to see that his eyes were slightly misty. His thumb rubbed gently against her bottom lip. "I adore you, too, Bones."

She grinned shyly at him. "I just want you to know that one day, I'm going to tell you 'I love you' - but that would only happen when I'm certain of it and have all the facts right," she sounded so much like she did whenever she tutored him in Biology that it made him smile widely.

He swooped down to steal a kiss from her lips. "Okay," he nodded, accepting her words easily.

He knew her so well, so he could understand that it couldn't be easy for her to process everything. Hell, it hadn't been easy for _him_, either. He could be patient. He'd wait for her no matter how long it took.

Their chaste kisses so easily turned slow and languid, passionate touches growing bolder as the minutes ticked by. He pulled back slightly after who knew how long, still close enough that every time he exhaled, she could feel a small puff of hot air blow across her face.

Booth had one arm wrapped around her waist, hand splayed across her lower back while his other hand stroked through her hair. Their half-lidded eyes met, an unspoken invitation answered, and she reached up, arms loosely draped over his shoulders and fingers dragging gently through the baby hairs at the nape of his neck.

Before long, Booth's kisses grew more aggressive than they had ever been before, his touch more desperate, but even underneath all of that urgency, all of that tension building up, she could still sense the gentleness that always carried whenever he was with her; as though he was handling the most fragile, silken glass.

Temperance let out a breathless moan, her eyes rolling into the back of her head, her head turned to the side and face buried in her pillow, as his lips trailed down her throat, mouth latching onto her pulse point and sucking feverishly.

His hands were wandering, digging almost painfully into her skin, dragging up her nightgown a little, hitching it up enough to expose her creamy thighs. He didn't make a move to remove her clothes, but she was getting hotter and hotter, her skin flushed a deep pink, a certain, unfamiliar but welcomed tightening in the pit of her stomach.

Her eyes flew open as she felt something hard pressing into her stomach, moving slightly. Her gaze locked on his, emotions flaring in both their eyes, moving at breakneck speed, speaking out loud what words could never express.

Embarrassment.

Excitement.

Sadness.

Joy.

Lust.

Love.

Temperance wrapped an arm around Booth's neck just as he was about to pull away, convinced he's crossed a line somehow due to his Catholic morals. Her fingers sank into his soft, dark brown hair, her other arm hooking around his torso, hand splayed across his back in an attempt to keep him where he was. Her legs went up, wrapping around his waist, her thighs pressing against his sides tightly, their heat pressed against each other for the first time.

"Kiss me," was her whispered plea, breathless and filled with emotion, and, ultimately, his breaking point.

His entire body was trembling as he moved. His hands, still gripping at the silky fabric of her nightgown and digging into her soft, malleable flesh, stayed where they were, flexing over her flesh. His lips descended upon hers, their slow, passionate kiss turning into a much frantic one, their bodies pressed flush against one another.

He wasn't exactly sure how it happened, though he was pretty sure it was more than just teenage hormones gone awry - all of the tension that had started when David had came back into his life, no matter for how short of a time, had come crashing down on him, and Temperance's constant presence, her persistence at being there for him…It was like a rubber band snapping, letting out all the emotions he'd suppressed for her for fear that it would push her too far away.

He swallowed back the three words he wanted to tell her over and over again, that he'd wanted to tell her for some time now, that had been cemented just hours ago. He knew this wasn't the time, and definitely not the place - a declaration of love should not happen while a couple was dry humping each other. Not when the concept itself was so new to them.

"Booth," Temperance whispered, her voice almost reverent, as she threw her head back, her eyes wide open and unseeing, a throaty groan slipping past her full lips as she clung onto him, her release washing over her.

Booth didn't think he'd ever seen her so beautiful - her skin, all the way from her creamy thighs to her exposed upper chest and throat to her cheeks were flushed a deep pink, her bottom lip was drawn in between her teeth, her body was shaking with tremors, the heat coming from her incredible to him.

He followed her into oblivion just moments later, his head falling onto her shoulder, his weight crushing her for a few seconds before he made to pull away from her.

"No," she protested in a weak voice.

"I'm crushing you," he murmured, lifting his head to gaze at her. He retracted one of his hands from around her, his thumb caressing gently, lovingly, across her defined cheekbone.

Temperance shook her head slightly, eyes sparkling as she gazed up at him. "I don't care," she insisted stubbornly. "Stay."

He allowed a small smile to grace his features, which only caused her to grow excited - it was his first real smile since David Booth had ruined everything by stepping into his sons' lives once more; despite how small his smile was, it was genuine. _That's good_, she commented silently, leaning up to brush kisses upon his smiling lips.

"I'll stay," he assured her, deepening their kiss for several minutes before pulling away - his hormones were getting in the way already, and he knew she'd reciprocate, but they were both exhausted, both physically and emotionally, from the day's events. They needed to rest for the night.

Eventually, when she was all jelly-limbed and half-asleep, he managed to pull away from her without too much of a fight.

"Where are you going?" Temperance mumbled sleepily, disappointment evident in her features as she watched him climb out of the bed.

"Shh," he murmured, brushing a light kiss on her forehead, brushing her hair out of her face tenderly. "I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

She nodded, her eyes fluttering as she went back and forth between fighting off sleep and giving in. Booth chuckled slightly, shaking his head as he walked into her en-suite bathroom.

His cheeks flushed red as he remembered what had occurred in the bathroom just barely over an hour ago. He had seen Temperance naked for the first time. Considering what they had just done in her bed, it shouldn't have been such a big deal, but it was to him.

He wasn't as innocent as she had been before tonight. He had never had sex before, never gone all the way before, but he had gone farther than innocent kisses. Truth be told, if Temperance had never come into his life when she had, he probably would've gone further by now.

But she had, and somewhere along the line, fascination had turned into adoration and adoration had turned into love.

Everything with her was so much more different than it had been with any of the girls he'd ever been with, chastely or otherwise. Everything was so much more intense. He didn't think it had anything to do with age - they were both still young, both still inexperienced if it came right down to it.

She was just…Special.

Booth tugged down his boxers, wincing slightly at the mess, and cleaned himself up. He threw his boxers into the washing machine in the corner of the bathroom, grabbing a small wash towel and placing it next to the sink as he waited for his boxers to be washed. Once the timer went off, he grabbed his boxers and threw it in the dryer.

Running the wash towel under warm water, he yanked his boxers back up his legs and settled them nicely on his hips. He reentered the bedroom, smiling to himself when he saw Temperance still laid out on the bed, half asleep.

"Booth," she murmured almost inaudibly, sighing as she felt him climb back into bed. Her eyes cracked open slightly to look at him, a sleepy smile spreading across her lips.

Booth's heart thudded almost painfully in his chest as he gazed down at her. "Hi, baby," he whispered, kneeling by her feet, his knees on either side of her.

Not wanting the warm water soaking the towel to get cold, he placed his hands on her hips, pushing the fabric of her nightgown back until they bunched up at her hips. He hooked his fingers underneath the lace fabric of her panties, touching smooth, firm skin.

Booth paused, his fingers stilling. He looked up into her eyes, wanting to check if this was okay with her - despite everything that had happened in the past hour or so, he didn't want to unintentionally cross any boundaries she might have. All of this was still new to the both of them.

Temperance's porcelain cheeks were flushed a rosy pink color, her eyes wider and more awake, her hands on either side of her head as her fingers curled against the fabric of her pillowcase. She didn't protest, and the small, shy smile on her lips told him it was alright for him to go on.

Booth smiled, bending his upper body to press a feather light kiss on her stomach. "I'm just going to take care of you," he assured her in a soft murmur, pulling down her panties slowly down her lean legs.

It was only the second time she was bare to him, and he couldn't look away, couldn't tamp down the arousal he felt. _Don't be such a guy, Seel_, he chided himself, tossing the undergarment to the side.

Grabbing the wetted wash cloth, he was satisfied to find that it was still warm. Gently nudging her thighs apart, he pulled her legs up until her feet were planted on the bed, knees drawn up. He gently ran the warm cloth from the inside of her thighs to the middle of her legs, cleaning her up with loving hands.

Temperance watched him, sleep completely evading her mind, weariness gone from her senses. She bit her lower lip, feeling an odd mixture of lust and affection and a myriad of other tender emotions she couldn't put a name to even if she tried. Instead, she allowed herself to just lose herself in the moment, enjoying how his hands felt on her, liking the pull in the pit of her stomach she knew, scientifically and otherwise, had everything to do with her arousal.

Booth took longer than necessary, perhaps, to clean her up, continuing to brush the soft cloth between her legs over and over again, aware of the slight trembling of her legs, until the towel was no longer warm at all. He dropped the towel on top of her discarded panties, climbing off the bed to go to her dresser, searching until he found the small amount of undergarments she'd brought with her for their vacation. He pulled out a blue colored pair of panties and went back to the bed, sliding them up her legs and covering her up once more.

He grabbed the towel and the discarded pair of underwear, throwing them in the laundry basket by the bathroom door. He flicked off the light switch and quietly slid back into her bed.

Slipping the covers over the both of them, he settled in behind her, pulling her back flushed with his front. Wrapping his arms protectively around her, he took in a breath, marveling at how this was the first breath he'd had since this morning that was free and unforced, and made him feel like he was really alive and not as though he was struggling not to drown.

Had it been just that afternoon when she had been the one to take the wheel and protect him?

When he was sure that she was asleep, practically dead to the world, he smiled down at her. "I'll always protect you," he repeated her words from earlier by the beach. "I love you."

He pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her hair, inhaling her scent, before snuggling into her, burying his nose into her sweet smelling hair, letting her presence alone comfort and lull him into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

><p>Thank you!<p>

Juliet.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones, not me.

* * *

><p><em>August 19, 1991<em>.

"Lydia!" Pops said in surprise as he took in the two women who had just walked in through the door. "Deb…What're you guys doing home so early?"

It was, after all, not even seven in the morning. The sky outside was only just starting to lighten, throwing beams of oranges and reds and yellows over the black shroud.

Lydia blinked at the sight of her father sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. "Dad," she smiled tiredly, dropping her bags at the entrance of the kitchen and moving forward to wrap her arms around him in a greeting. "Hey."

"The flight we were supposed to be on was cancelled," Deb explained. "They put us on a different one much earlier."

"What are you doing up so early?" Lydia asked, sliding onto a stool next to her father while Deb - the eternally chipper one between the two of them - bustled about to pour them mugs of coffee.

Pops sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I couldn't sleep," he admitted and Lydia was shocked to hear how raw his voice sounded.

Noting the dark circles underneath his eyes and his haggard appearance, her weariness over the long flight waned. "Did something happen?" she asked, sharing a look with Deb.

Pops let out a strangled sort of chuckle. "Oh, where do I start?" he shook his head, pressing his fingertips to his temple.

Lydia stayed stoic throughout Pops' explanation, Debbie gasping at all the right places.

"Are they okay?" Debbie sounded close to tears, bless her heart.

Pops shrugged. "Physically, they're fine," he assured them. "I mean, a couple of cuts and bruises, but those will heal."

"But…?" Deb prompted, sensing there was more.

Pops guzzled down the rest of his coffee before grabbing the coffee pot, refilling his mug. "I think they're shaken up," he confessed. "The boys haven't seen David in years. And Temperance has gotten used to a home where fists don't go flying at the slightest hint of disagreement, so she's pretty shocked, too."

Lydia sighed, getting to her feet and stretching her tired limbs. "I'm gonna go check in on the boys," she announced.

Deb gave her a stern look - as stern as she could be anyway. "Don't you think you should let them rest? It's still too early," she reminded Lydia.

Lydia waved aside Deb's concern. "I'm just gonna make sure they're fine," she defended herself. "I won't disturb 'em."

Kissing both Debbie and Pops on the cheek, she drained the last of her coffee and walked out of the kitchen.

Heading Deb's reminder to let the boys rest, Lydia made sure to tiptoe quietly towards their room, twisting the doorknob slowly to make sure that it didn't make any noise as the door opened.

She crept quietly into the room, stopping at the bed closest to the door first. She frowned as she looked down at Jared sleeping in his bed - the bruises on his face were prominent even in the dark. Sighing sadly, Lydia gently brushed back soft strands of his hair from his forehead. Jared frowned in his sleep, turning his head on his pillow but he didn't rouse from slumber.

Lydia pressed a soft kiss to his hair before standing up, moving quietly over to Booth's bed. Her brows furrowed as she took in the lumpy figure, completely covered underneath the sheets. She reached out, gently tugging the sheets down slightly. Her mouth fell open as she didn't uncover her older nephew sleeping but pillows hastily placed together to form a lumpy figure imitating a human being.

Panic overcame her for a moment before she tucked the sheets back in the way she'd found it. Hurriedly getting out of the room, she closed the door silently behind her before taking in a deep breath.

_Okay, think, Lydia_, she urged herself. _Maybe he's just not sleeping in his room. Dad said he and Jared had a fight. He could still be in the house_.

She started right away with the room next to the one Jared was sleeping in. It was filled mostly with boxes and white sheets splattered with paint. She didn't find him there, or in the other bedroom-under-construction. She was leaving the office to search the library when she ran into Deb.

"Hi, honey," Deb yawned. "What are you doing down here? I thought you were upstairs?"

Lydia froze for a moment. _Should I tell her?_ She asked herself, panicking. She knew that if she told Deb, then Deb would panic, thinking Booth had run off somewhere. The last thing she wanted was for Deb and Pops to create some sort of a manhunt, especially when Lydia wasn't even sure that Booth had gone off somewhere.

"Uh…" Lydia cleared her throat nervously. "I was just…"

Deb cut her off, giving her a knowing look. "Honey, are you thinking of getting back to work right now?" she asked Lydia disapprovingly. "You know we just got back. You should really wait until you've gotten a few hours of sleep."

Lydia nodded, going with Deb's assumption. "Oh, yeah, you're right," she agreed.

"Hey, how are the boys?" Deb lowered her voice to a gentle, soft tone.

Lydia almost choked. "Excuse me?" she managed to get out in an almost calm voice.

Deb's brows furrowed together. "You went up to check on them, right?" she asked. "Are they okay?"

"Oh! Oh, yeah," she nodded. "They're, um, well, they're sleeping so…" she trailed off. Just to make sure Deb didn't check in on them like she had, she added, "But you're right, we should let them sleep in."

Deb smiled, glad that Lydia was taking her advice. "You know, Hank was telling me about Booth's depression from last time," she said solemnly. "I'm glad he has Temperance this time around."

This caught Lydia's attention, and her eyes zeroed in on Deb. "Wait - what do you mean?" she asked, confused.

Deb laughed. "Are you kidding? She's his best friend," she reminded Lydia. "Who else would he turn to if he's going through a tough time? Especially since he's sixteen and probably thinks that all adults are out to ruin his life."

_Yes, good point_, Lydia thought. _Who else would he go to?_

Yawning once more, Deb rubbed at her tired eyes. "You know what, I'm pretty much dead on my feet," she commented. "I'm going upstairs. Are you coming?"

Lydia nodded. "Yeah, sure," she replied. "I'm just, uh, gonna…" she jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

Deb chuckled, assuming that Lydia wanted to get back to her home office. "Okay, just don't take too long!" she called over her shoulder, shaking her head as she climbed up the stairs.

Lydia made sure she was in the clear from Pops, who bid her goodbye on the way upstairs, his eyes half-closed.

When she was sure she was the only one left downstairs, she started searching for Booth once again. The first place she looked for was the guest house that Deb had relinquished to Temperance for her use during her stay at the house.

* * *

><p>Booth had been awake for what felt like hours now. The sky had still been dark when he'd awoken and now it was starting to lighten.<p>

Once the exhaustion had somewhat faded, he had jolted awake and hadn't been able to fall back asleep. Thinking too much about the day before gave him a horrible headache, so instead he laid on his side, head propped up by his elbow and eyes fixed on Temperance as she slept on.

Now, as she was just starting to wake, fidgeting in his arms, he couldn't help a small chuckle at the kittenish yawn that escaped her lips. He ducked his head, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder, and another on her arm, his hand caressing her back gently as he watched her wake.

Her eyelids fluttered at the sound of his laugh, and when his lips ghosted across hers for a kiss, she craned her neck to steal another even when she wasn't completely awake yet. She turned her head, blinking blearily up at him and smiling a little goofily when he sweetly pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Booth?" she swallowed back a yawn. "Wh…Are you staring at me?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"A couple hours."

Her eyes narrowed, "Uh-huh…Maybe a better question is, _why_ are you staring at me?" she reiterated.

He chuckled, he wrapped his free arm around her middle and pulled her in closer, burying his nose into her hair. "I couldn't sleep," he admitted to her.

Temperance hummed a non-verbal reply, then turned around in his embrace so that they were facing each other. She wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her face in his chest. "What time is it?" she mumbled, her voice muffled by his skin.

"Mmm…" he half rolled over onto his back, still holding onto her while he reached for his watch. He squinted at the small numbers on it. "It's six forty five."

Temperance groaned, the sound causing the skin her lips were pressed into to vibrate. "I've never woken up this late before," she sighed.

Booth rolled his eyes. Only she would ever think six forty five in the morning was late. "I think I should be heading back," he said despondently, not looking forward to it at all.

She lifted her head from his chest, raising her eyebrow questioningly, "You want to get back before Pops and Jared wake up?"

"Mostly before Jared," he corrected. "Damn kid would probably tell on me."

Temperance gave him a look. "Tell on you?" she repeated, rolling her eyes sarcastically. "What are you, five?"

He pretended to be hurt by this.

"Look, all kidding aside," she said seriously, reaching up to caress his cheek gently with the back of her hand. "I think you need to be nicer to Jared."

Booth's eyes flashed, a scowl forming on his lips. "Me!" he said incredulously. "You know, he wasn't all that pleasant yesterday, either."

"Well, you weren't the only one who saw their alcoholic father for the first time in years just hours prior," she pointed out to him.

Shaking his head, Booth retracted his arms from around Temperance and scooted off the bed. "I can't believe you're taking his side," he muttered angrily, stalking across the bedroom towards the bathroom to retrieve his clothes from the washer-dryer.

Temperance frowned, sitting up in bed as she watched Booth come out of the bathroom, his dry clothes bundled up into a ball in his arms. "I'm not taking sides, Booth," she defended herself. "I'm just saying…"

He shook his head as he threw his clothes on the bed, rummaging until he found his jeans. "It sounds like you are," he said as he yanked on his pants.

She sighed, climbing off the bed and going up to Booth. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around his wrists, drawing them away from his half buttoned-up jeans. "Booth," she whispered, and one look into her wide, innocent-looking eyes rendered him speechless, his anger and frustration ebbing away completely.

He hung his head for a second before engulfing her in a hug, holding her close. "I'm sorry," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair and breathing in her calming scent. "I'm just…On edge right now."

She rested the side of her face against his bare chest, one arm around his waist and the fingers of her other hand tracing random patterns on his torso. "I get it," she said sincerely. "I just don't want you to think you're alone or that you have to burden yourself with everything…"

"I don't," he assured her.

She placed her chin on his chest, looking up at him. "Because you're not," she continued on. "You have Pops and Jared and your aunts."

He nodded, placing his cheek on the top of her head. "Yeah, I know that," he exhaled.

"And you have me," she added, brushing a kiss against his beating heart.

An involuntary smile flickered across his face before slowly spreading into a wide grin. "Yeah?" he asked her in a playful tone, placing a finger underneath his chin and tilting her head up gently. "I have you?"

"Yes," she replied, her cute giggle making him laugh out loud. "You do."

He leaned down, capturing her lips in sweet, lingering kisses, his hand sliding up her jaw until they tangled in her hair. The feel of her small, nimble hands clinging to his body, her heart racing against his, her soft lips moving in tandem with his, sent his head spinning dizzyingly, memories of the night before flashing suddenly behind his eyelids.

And even though he knew that what he should really be doing was end their kiss, put on the rest of his clothes and head back to the main house so that no one would come looking for him when they woke and saw that he wasn't in his bed, Booth found himself holding Temperance closer instead.

They stumbled backwards without even realizing it, both of them falling onto the bed, Booth on top of Temperance. Temperance laughed at their sudden movement, her head thrown back against the soft sheets. Booth didn't miss a beat, his lips forming a trail of kisses down her throat.

Temperance bit her lip, reaching to pull his head up so their lips could connect again. Her eyes stayed open as she watched him above her. His hair was mussed up from sleep and from her fingers running through the soft strands, his eyes closed and his expression one of peaceful pleasure, like there was nothing on his mind except for kissing her…It made a thrill shoot through her belly.

His hands were inching their way up her thighs, a pleasant flutter in her stomach, her heart racing wildly and her breathing heavy at the thought that they might have a repeat of last night, when they heard the distinct shout of a female voice, calling Booth's first name.

They pulled apart, both of them looking wide-eyed at the door.

"Oh, crap," Booth hissed, shooting away from Temperance like a bullet. "That's Aunt Lydia. She's back."

They hastened to grab at his remaining clothes on the bed, giving Temperance a quick kiss before rushing out the door of the guest house. He raced down the steps and tried to put on the rest of his clothes on, hoping to get somewhere inside the main house before Aunt Lydia saw him.

Unfortunately for him, they bumped into each other at the pool just below the guest house.

Lydia stopped dead in her tracks, taking in her nephew's appearance with wide eyes. His hair was sticking up in all directions, his lips were reddened, his pants half undone and his shirt hanging wide open, unbuttoned.

Her disapproving eyes trailed back to the guest house he'd so obviously come from. When she looked at him again, she saw that he was hurriedly buttoning up his clothes so she looked away once more. Her gaze found Temperance coming out of the guest house, and her eyes widened in shock at how little the girl was wearing.

Temperance looked flustered, blushing heavily, as she stepped up next to Booth. "Um…" she mumbled, looking from Booth to Aunt Lydia like a lost lamb.

She had found Booth's jacket on her bed and figured that he'd taken her own jacket out of the dryer with the rest of his clothes and had grabbed her jacket instead of hers on the way out without checking. Unthinkingly, she'd grabbed his coat and ran out the door after him.

Now they both stood in front of Aunt Lydia, the proof of their indecency right in front of her eyes.

"Uh, I…Your jacket," she stammered, holding it up for him.

Booth glanced down at the blue fabric he was holding onto, realized he'd grabbed the wrong material, and switched jackets with Temperance.

Aunt Lydia's penetrating gaze made both of them put on their jackets as quickly as possible.

Dreading the answer, Lydia cleared her throat uncomfortably and said, "It's awfully early to be making visits to Temperance, isn't it, Seeley?" When both of the teenagers in front of her remained silent, exchanging guilty looks with each other, Lydia nodded, her suspicions confirmed, "Or did you stay the night with her?"

Despite the fact that his entire face felt inflamed, Booth felt a protective urge run through him. "Aunt Lydia, it's not like that," he defended. "We just…We slept."

Temperance, who was almost obsessive compulsive about not telling the truth, opened her mouth. Seeing this, Booth quickly jabbed her side with his elbow. Getting the silent message, Temperance's jaw snapped shut.

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" she asked incredulously.

Booth nodded furiously. "I was upset last night," he elaborated. "I don't know if you know…But, uh, my dad…" he trailed off, a pained expression crossing his features at the reminder.

His early morning time together with Temperance had effectively driven any thoughts about his painful blast from the past out of his mind, and the panic he'd felt afterwards at being caught coming out of Temperance's room by Aunt Lydia had pretty much made his mind go blank.

Lydia, arms cross over her chest, watched the tender moment between Booth and Temperance.

Temperance, having noticed the change in Booth's emotions, immediately reached out. Her hand linked with Booth's, and she raised their entwined fingers up to brush a kiss against the back of his hand.

Lydia noted, begrudgingly, that the tension in Booth's eyes waned when Temperance touched him. At the feel of her kiss, however, the taut muscles of his shoulders seemed to relax completely, as though he was transforming from angry kid to 'calm boy in love' right before her very eyes.

Remembering what Debbie had said to her earlier, about being glad that Temperance was around to help Booth get through everything, Lydia reluctantly conceded that maybe she should relent a little.

After all, even she herself couldn't help feeling grateful towards Temperance after hearing Pops' story about how she had tried her best to defend Booth against David. Not many scrawny teenaged girls would willingly face a man as terrifying as Lydia knew her brother could be, but she had and it was solely for Booth.

_But just a little_, her more stubborn side argued. _Whether she's a help to him or not, it doesn't change the fact that they spent the night together. Who knew what happened between them last night?_

"Okay, look," Lydia started, exhaling loudly and shaking her head. "While I think Temperance is a good person and all of that," she didn't miss the bewildered look the two shared at her statement.

Rolling her eyes, Lydia sheepishly admitted to herself that maybe her distrust of the girl hadn't been kept as discreet as possible. "Dad told me about what you did," she grudgingly told them. "Yesterday when my brother came by. So, you know, thank you for that…"

"_But_…?" Booth prompted, not at all fooled by Lydia's complimentary words.

Lydia sighed, running a hand through her hair, messed up from sleeping on the flight back home. "But," she stressed. "I just don't want the two of you to be…Rushing into anything."

Temperance tilted her head to the side, her nose scrunched up as she stared at Lydia, and Booth looked as though he was torn between choking on air and choking Lydia just to get her to stop talking.

Lydia, on the other hand, ploughed ahead, "I just don't think either of you are ready for such a huge step. I mean…You're both so young."

Even though he had no intention of taking the next step with Temperance until they were both ready - no matter how great the temptation may be - Booth glared at his aunt. "If you must know," he stated, his tone huffy due to his embarrassment. "We're not…Y'know, doing anything like that."

"Really?" Lydia cocked an eyebrow. "You're not?" She didn't sound like she believed him at all.

Temperance shook her head, looking as confused as ever. "I don't know what we're talking about," she interrupted.

Booth, pretty much knowing that she was going to say something completely inappropriate, hissed out, "_Bones_…"

She didn't seem to heed his warning tone at all, continuing with, "But if you're worried that we're having sex, we're not." Booth choked a little when she finished it with a flourish, "I'm still a virgin."

Lydia stared in shock at Temperance. It had taken a really long time for her to get used to Temperance's startling candidness, but even this was a little too out there for her to handle. "Uh…Right," she drawled.

Booth shook his head, sighing as he palmed his face wearily. "Look, Aunt Lydia, I've told you before and I'll tell you again - Bones and I aren't messing around here," he repeated what he had told her once before. "And even if someday in the future we decide to take that step…Then it's no one's business but ours," he finished.

Lydia resisted the urge to say 'Excuse me!' in an incredulous tone. Instead, she gave him a reprimanding look. "Okay, why don't you pick a different tone," she suggested in a stern tone. "I'm only concerned about you."

Booth had the decency to look repentant. "I'm sorry, Aunt Lydia, really," he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "But I…"

"You're young," Lydia interrupted. "Things happen, even if you think you've got things under control and you're gonna hold out…"

"Ugh, Aunt Lydia," Booth groaned, shaking his head. He felt fairly queasy.

Lydia held up her hand to halt his words. "Even things like what happened yesterday - traumatizing things," her voice rose an octave in a bid to get her point across. "It could cloud your judgment, Seeley-"

"Oh, for God's sake," Booth muttered.

"I'm being serious here, Seeley, you don't know what you could be getting yourself into!"

"Was that a poke at my being a foster child?"

Booth shot Temperance a look. "It's a 'dig', Bones," he corrected her half-heartedly. "And no, it's not. She's talking about consequences."

"Consequences?"

Lydia threw her hands in the air, frustrated. "If I have to spell it out for either one of you, you're clearly not ready," she was clearly riled up. "I mean, if you're really as serious about each other as you say you are, what's the harm in waiting?"

"This isn't a conversation I want to have," Booth said in what he hoped was a firm voice.

He knew Lydia had the best intentions in mind but he wasn't a child. He knew everything Lydia could possibly want to say to him regarding this matter. It wasn't like he was stupid or hadn't taken a health education class in his life before. He knew all about consequences, and he didn't need a reminder from his aunt.

"Well, that's too bad," Lydia quipped sarcastically. "Because I think it's a conversation you _need_ to have."

"I know what I'm doing," Booth shot back, getting fairly irritated now. He wasn't sure if it was the quick temper he'd been cursed with ever since he was a child, rearing its ugly head thanks to the brief reappearance of his father, or if it was his puritanical views of private matters that was making him so embarrassed and riled up.

"All teenagers think they do."

"It's different with us, with her!"

"Oh, for God's sake, Seeley!" Lydia sounded exasperated. "Spare me the theatrics!"

Before he even knew what he was doing, Booth was blurting out, "But I _love_ her!"

Silence permeated the air at Booth's declaration.

Aunt Lydia seemed to be frozen in shock as she stared at her nephew, jaw hanging open. Booth swore he saw her left eye twitch every few seconds.

Temperance, on the other hand, gave him a look that suggested she thought he was crazy for telling anyone. "Are we allowed to tell people you love me?" she stage whispered, her voice not at all discreet as it carried towards Lydia. Fortunately, she didn't seem to hear the young girl.

Booth, pushing aside the fear and panic he felt to give her a wolfish grin. "You know, it's liberating to say," he admitted to her, his tone as mischievous as the sparkle in his dark chocolate eyes. "It's not like I've got a lot of people I could tell - best take advantage of the situation."

She rolled her eyes, eyeing him contemplatively. "For a jock, you're kinda dorky…" she mused, almost to herself. His surprised expression morphed into one of mock hurt. Seeing this, she grinned shyly at him, "I didn't say I didn't like it."

The cutesy interaction between them was more than enough to jolt Lydia out of whatever shocked stupor she was in. "You love her?" she practically choked out.

Booth nodded.

Lydia piercing gaze met Temperance's, narrowed and suspicious as though she feared Temperance would start singing out her own love declarations. When Temperance merely blinked at her, Lydia sighed, dropping her head and massaging her throbbing temples with the tips of her fingertips.

Booth frowned at his aunt. "Why do you look like it's the end of the world?" he questioned Lydia. "I love her - this is a good thing."

_Yeah, maybe to you_, Lydia couldn't help but retort silently. Instead of answering his question, she asked him one of her own. "Does Pops know?"

Booth's eyebrows furrowed together. "What's to know?" he shrugged. "Look, it's not a secret - not from Pops - so if it comes out, it comes out, but really…He knows we're together. Everything else is just between me and Bones."

"And Lydia," Temperance interrupted, unknowingly making a sarcastic comment regarding the woman's nosey attitude towards their relationship.

Booth stifled a laugh when Lydia went red. "Okay, look," she said, so very obviously trying to calm herself down. "I'll back off."

Booth cocked an eyebrow, eyeing her suspiciously. "Really?" he asked disbelievingly.

Lydia nodded. "I will," she promised. "Only if you promise me that you'll have a talk with Pops about the status of your relationship."

Booth looked like that was the last thing he ever wanted to do, but when he opened his mouth to protest, Lydia held up her hand. "Dad doesn't think whatever's between the two of you is that serious yet, and I do," she gestured towards their clothes, causing both of them to blush fiercely. "I just want him to have an idea and not be flippant about enforcing rules."

"You want us to tell Pops so that he could be stricter about rules?" Booth asked incredulously. No teenage boy would do that willingly, especially if it jeopardized their time and their freedom to be with their girlfriend.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Would you prefer it if he stayed in the dark until something bad happens? Until it's too late and he has to take the blame since he is Temperance's legal guardian?" she shot at him.

Booth and Temperance shared an uneasy look.

On one hand, neither one of them were looking forward to the awkwardness of that conversation. Sharing feelings with other people wasn't an easy task for Booth or Temperance. It was easier with one another, though neither knew why.

On the other hand, Temperance couldn't lie to the man who had so generously taken her in and had given her the first stable environment she'd had since her parents had disappeared. If Booth really thought about it, he couldn't lie to his grandfather, either. He had done so much for Booth - taking him and Jared in when they needed it, helping him get through a horrible depression, taking in the girl he loved into his home when she had nowhere safe to go…

Sighing, Booth finally relented. "Fine," he agreed. He caught Temperance nodding her head in agreement out of the corner of his eye.

Lydia nodded, smiling in satisfaction. "Fine," she repeated, sounding happier than she had the entire time Temperance had known her. "I'm gonna head inside now…Deb and I will be sleeping in this morning so you could take some time after breakfast to talk with dad."

As she moved towards the back entrance to the house via the kitchen, she threw over her shoulder, "Don't stay out here too long, Seeley."

* * *

><p><em>August 28, 1991<em>.

"Oh, my God, this is so good," Booth moaned as he took another bite of his cinnamon pie.

Temperance shook her head, sighing. "Yes, you mentioned it once or twice," she quipped.

They had gone to a restaurant by the pier for their date, and when it came time for dessert, Booth had ordered cinnamon pie. After the first bite, where he'd declared the pie the second love of his life - the first being her, which made her feel uneasy yet strangely pleased all at the same time - he had kept ordering more and more pie.

They'd finally left the restaurant after his fourth slice and were now walking along the pier, with Booth eating their three takeaway slices straight from the takeout box.

Booth nodded, eyes fixed solely on the remaining morsels of the last pie. "That's because it's true," he concluded. "You really should've ordered a slice of this pie."

"I did," she said wryly. "You immediately ate it."

He finally lifted his head to give her a sheepish smile. She returned it with an indulgent smile of her own, chuckling softly as she shook her head at his obsession with sweets.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, only half jokingly. "I'm paying more attention to this cinnamon goodness instead of you."

She cracked a sly smile. "Somehow I'll survive," she played along.

He offered her the last few bites of the pie, feeling guilty that he'd pretty much eaten every single slice they'd ordered. Throwing away the empty takeout box, Booth wiped his hands clean before taking her hand in his. "You ready to go to your first bonfire?" he asked her.

Temperance bit her lip as she glanced sideways at Booth. She knew he was excited about the bonfire but she wasn't too sure.

She had met a few of his friends in California and she just didn't get along with them as well as she did with his friends back in Chicago, the ones living in Pops' neighborhood. His lakeside basketball buddies easily accepted her and her awkward social skills simply because Booth did.

His California friends were a little more judgmental and…Athletic. She felt a little uncomfortable around them, to be honest.

But the bonfire was an important thing to him so she merely mustered up the biggest smile she could without it looking fake and hummed a wordless response.

Of course, being Booth, he read her far too well. Giving her a knowing look, he released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders instead. "You don't like my friends here, do you?"

He sounded disappointed by that though she knew he tried his best to hide it. "No, no, that's not it," she hastened to assure him. "It's just that…I don't know them well. It's only been a few weeks, after all."

He squeezed her shoulders in a comforting gesture. "They like you just fine, Bones," he murmured soothingly.

She rolled her eyes. "I may be naïve, but I'm not stupid, Booth," she scoffed. "I know they think I'm weird."

He chuckled. "You _are_ weird, Bones," he grinned, secretly loving the unintentional pout that formed on her lips. "But that's just part of your charm. If they don't get it then it's their loss."

She laughed, her face reddening when he leaned in and brushed a sweet kiss to her cheek.

"Just promise me we won't be playing volleyball again…I really don't understand that game," she frowned. He stifled his laughter, remembering when she'd tripped and fallen countless times during the game. She really was clumsy sometimes.

Pops looked up from the TV as the duo entered the living room. Smiling at them, he said, "Hey, you two…Have fun on your date?"

Temperance blinked innocent eyes at him while Booth's smile fell fractionally.

It wasn't like Pops hadn't been direct about their relationship from the start but ever since their talk a week ago, things had been really awkward. At least for Booth. Temperance, much to Booth's discomfiture, had been completely comfortable with Pops' questions and Lydia's scrutiny.

"Yes, we did," Temperance answered happily. "I didn't have to play volleyball at all."

Pops chuckled at just how pleased she sounded. "Well, uh, good then," he answered smilingly.

Booth shuffled his feet awkwardly for a moment before clearing his throat. "I'm just, uh…I'm gonna walk Bones back to the guest house," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

Pops nodded, his attention already diverted back to the TV screen. "Okay," he muttered distractedly.

Booth and Temperance walked alongside the pool, their entwined hands swinging back and forth as they stole sly sideways glances at one another. It was moments like these, where they shared blushing grins and shy glances, that reminded Booth that they were still in the first few stages of their love story.

Not wanting to head back inside the guest house, where their time together would be undoubtedly limited considering Lydia's restrictions as long as they were 'under her roof', Booth and Temperance headed towards the gazebo near the pool.

They sat down on the swing bench, Temperance cuddled up to Booth's side. With his arms around her, his warmth soaking into her skin, their happiness causing an almost tangible hum to pulse between them, Temperance felt the most peaceful as she had ever been in her life.

Booth seemed to be feeling the same way because a few minutes of silence later, he sighed happily, wrapping her in a tighter embrace. Pressing a kiss to her hair, he sighed again, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. "I love you," he murmured against her silken strands.

Again, the unease threatened to penetrate her happy shield. She turned her head, burying her nose into his shoulder and pressing a kiss to his clothed skin before pulling away from him just enough to look into his eyes.

"You know I'm scared every time you tell me that," she blurted out, shocking him completely.

He did a double take, staring at her as though he was unsure what to make of this. "You're afraid when I tell you 'I love you'?" At her nod, both his eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Why?"

She shrugged, averting her gaze from his deep brown eyes. She would only be drawn into their charming glow and that really wasn't appropriate when they were about to have such a serious discussion.

"Everyone who's ever loved me, Booth…" she shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment as though pained somehow by her memories. "They've all left me. My parents, my brother…It just doesn't bode well for me when someone tells me they love me."

Booth gazed down at the angelic face of his beautiful girl. His free hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing gently against her satiny bottom lip. "And you're afraid that I'm going to leave, too?" he whispered, his heart breaking for her a little when she nodded, her eyes still not meeting his, her teeth furiously chewing away at her lip.

He smiled a little sadly, gently tugging her lip free. "Bones…You've gotta know," he murmured. "I'd never leave you."

She didn't look like she believed him at all. "Words are easy to say, Booth," she said, her tone a little bitter. "They're harder to follow through."

Booth grasped her chin gently with his fingers and turned her face until she was looking directly. His eyes locked on hers, his resolve hardening. "Not for me," he insisted stubbornly. "Not when it comes to this."

"Don't promise me this, Booth," she gently brushed his hand away.

He seemed to take offense in her words. "What, you think I'm lying to you?"

"No! Of course not!" she immediately assured him. "It's just that this is not something either of us can predict. For all we know, our future goals might lead us in separate directions. Next year we'll be entering senior year and everything will change. You said it so yourself the beginning of the summer-"

He nodded. "Yeah," he agreed half-heartedly, his tone picking up slightly as he hurried to finish his thought out loud. "But I meant that we shouldn't get too lost in our busy schedules, you know?"

She sighed, tilting her head back slightly to look up at the dark sky. "Yes, well, that too would be a hard promise to keep," she muttered.

He raised an eyebrow, staring at her suspiciously.

Deciding that it was probably time to come clean, Temperance blushed and looked down at her lap. "I've been keeping something from you, Booth," she murmured quietly. "The thing is…You know how I said I was doing 'homework' this summer?"

He scoffed. "Who could forget?" he asked rhetorically. "The only person I know who has homework for the summer."

She stared at him pointedly. "People who attend summer school probably have homework in the summertime, as well," she said in a rational tone of voice.

He rolled his eyes in response.

"My _point_ is…I've been taking courses over the summer for my general education," she admitted, a small smile spreading across her lips and growing larger by the minute. The pleasant, self-satisfied warmth that seemed to engulf her from the inside every time she achieved something academically took over once more.

Booth noted with a certain sense of happiness the obvious sparkle in her eyes - he loved it very much whenever she was happy with herself, even more so when she was excited about her studies. He knew she was amazing and, someday, he was sure the whole world would know it too. He was always glad to see her dream coming to life, bit by seemingly impossible bit.

He listened attentively as she rambled on about getting dual credits, not only for high school but for college, meaning that she had been learning college courses throughout the summer. "I just wanted to do as much as I could so that my college education would be sped up," she said with a shrug. "My counselor said that at the rate I'm going, by the time we graduate high school, I'd be able to skip a few years of college if I wanted."

Booth's eyes widened at that. He figured she'd be in a few advanced classes or something. She was already two years younger than any of the students in the graduating class starting next semester. Jumping ahead the rest of the bunch yet again seemed like such an impossible feat.

_Then, of course, I don't have her genius mind_, he thought to himself. "Wow," he murmured.

His voice seemed to be the metaphorical ice cold water, poured quite suddenly over her and jolting her out of pleasant thoughts of graduating college earlier than even she had anticipated and going to grad school by the time she was twenty.

"Yes," she nodded her head, her voice taking on a note of somberness. "So, you see, you would be far too busy with getting your scholarship next semester and I would be far too busy with my dual credits-"

He held up his hand, eyes wide in fear. "Whoa, wait," he interrupted her, not quite in the right frame of mind to be ashamed of the startling high pitch his words had come out in. "This sounds like a break-up to me."

Her own eyes matched his. "_What!_" she sounded shocked. "No! That's not what I'm saying at all!"

"Oh," he breathed out in relieved. _Now_ he was feeling up to being embarrassed - unfortunately. "Right. Go on."

She shook her head, running a hand through her curls. "I'm just saying that…With everything that's going to happen in the future - as much as I'd like us to stay together, Booth - sometimes it just doesn't work that way," her voice had grown quieter and quieter with each passing word until he almost had to strain to hear her. "What if we grow apart? What if we forget to remember to be a couple, like you said we had to? What if-"

"Hey," he interrupted her, his soft, mellow voice a definite clash to the hysterics he could practically spot a mile away. "That's never going to happen."

She seemed frustrated by his words. "That's just what I'm trying to tell you!" she exclaimed, her hand gesturing wildly to make her point. "Neither of us can predict the outcome for the next few years…I don't want you making promises you can't be certain you'll keep, Booth. You've never lied to me and I don't want you to start - even inadvertently."

"I'm not lying to you," he insisted, shifting slightly so that his body was angled towards hers. "Listen to me, Bones," he placed his hands on her shoulders, gently moving her so that her body position mirrored his. "I'm _never_ going to leave you."

Her lips parted but he shook his head, shushing her silently.

"I'm never going to leave you," he repeated firmly. "I don't care what the obstacles are. I'm never going to abandon you. I'll always be there for you. And, yes, I know these are hard words to follow through on but I don't need to predict the future to know that I'm going to honor them to the best of my abilities, Bones."

He tilted his head forwards until their foreheads were pressed gently together. "Do you know," his voice had lowered to such a soft murmur that it felt so very much like a lover's caress. "That I get so…Overwhelmed sometimes? All of these memories, this pain, that I thought I'd left behind…It's come back and it stifles me until I feel like I'm suffocating."

Her eyes widened in fear and teared up in obvious sorrow for the boy she was beginning to think she was in love with. "Booth…" she whispered, her fingertips touching his cheek lightly as if she was worried he might shatter if her touch wasn't gentle enough.

His smile was sad, too, but his eyes - oddly enough - sparkled brightly. "But you're here, Bones, and every time you're near me it's like I can breathe again," he let out a breathy laugh. "I don't know how that works, but it does and I can't let that go."

Sniffling away tears that mortifyingly threatened to fall, Booth offered her a warm smile. "So you see, darling, I'm not just fighting to keep us together for you," he said lightheartedly. "I'm fighting for me, too."

He lowered his mouth, stealing sweet lingering kisses from her lips, until they were both breathless. His chest constricted almost painfully with the emotions he could see swimming in her vivid blue eyes; emotions he was one hundred percent positive were reflected in his own eyes.

"_Darling?_" she repeated, a small smile curving at the corner of her lips, her eyebrow quirking questioningly.

"I was testing it out."

"_Please_ don't."

He chuckled, absolutely tickled at her good humor.

"I'm glad you're fighting, Booth," her voice softened, her palms laying flat against his chest and caressing gently. "I want you to know…" she hesitated for merely less than a fraction of a second. "I'm going to fight, too."

Their kisses, this time, were far less serious - playful nibbles and girlish giggles accompanied the meeting of their lips, their happy mood back in full swing.

Their tender moment was only interrupted when Lydia poked her head outside the backdoor. Her eyes roved around the garden until they fell upon the embracing lovers under the gazebo.

"Seeley!" she called out, trying her hardest not to sound stern - Debbie would have her head if she didn't 'let the two lovebirds be'. Apparently, she was the only one who knew about this clandestine relationship and still had a solid head screwed on tightly on her neck.

Booth and Temperance sprang apart, looking for all the world as guilty as could be. "Y-yeah, Aunt Lydia?" Booth called out, his voice barely audible to his own ears above the furious pounding of his heart and the blood rushing to his ears.

"It's getting really late - say goodnight to Temperance and come back inside!" she called back. "Five minutes, guys!"

The moment she'd popped back into the house, Booth and Temperance managed to look each other in the eyes once more. Shaking their heads at the awkward situation they'd been in just moments before, an unintentional giggle turned into full out laughter between the two.

Once they'd calmed down enough, Booth stood up. He towered over Temperance, causing her to tilt her head back to look up at him, her rose colored lips formed into the most beautiful, serene smile he'd ever witnessed.

He cupped the side of her head with his palm, fingers tangled in her soft hair as he gently pulled her head up towards him for a tender kiss. "I'll sneak into your room once everyone's asleep," he promised on a whisper, his eyes glinting mischievously in the dark.

Temperance's red cheeks, not yet faded to the usual ivory from the laughing fit they'd had earlier, burned even brighter even as she clutched at his upper torso with her arms, locking him in place for another of his searing kisses.

"I'm counting on it," her tone was just as sly as his.

Reluctantly, Temperance released Booth so that he could return back to the main house. The fingers of one hand curled around the metal chain holding up one end of the swinging bench, and her legs kicked back and forth slightly to give the swing a gentle rocking movement.

With a contented sigh, Temperance watched Booth's back as he retreated back to the backdoor. She hadn't gotten her fill of him for the night, her craving for him having increased exponentially since their first sensual encounter just barely over a week ago.

Frowning as she stood, she couldn't help but wish there was more time and freedom for the two of them to explore each other's boundaries.

Of course, smiling to herself, Temperance reminded herself that Booth would be returning to her room up there in the guest house as soon as everyone was asleep, just like he had done since the first night they'd spent together.

It wasn't the most honest thing to do but they were, after all, teenagers - as Booth had pointed out to her before, no guardian would ever allow them time to be together if they'd come right out and say what was on their mind.

Comforting herself with thoughts of her rendezvous with Booth later that night, Temperance hummed a happy tune to herself as she made her way towards the guest house.

* * *

><p>Hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to leave a line.<p>

Juliet.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones.

* * *

><p><em>September 3, 1991<em>.

It was their last day in California before Temperance, Pops and the two Booth boys were set to leave for Chicago.

As a treat for their 'good behavior' regarding the partially reinforced rules - which mostly consisted of Pops just telling them what they could and couldn't do all over again - Pops had allowed Booth and Temperance one last night out on their own.

Aunt Lydia hadn't been too fond of that idea. "It's your last day here," she tried to persuade Booth for the hundredth time as she watched him get ready for his date, her arms crossed and a frown on her lips as she leaned against the bathroom doorway. "Don't you think we should all spend time as a family?"

Booth gave Lydia a patient look through the mirror, his hands stilling where they had been styling his hair with gel just a few moments ago. "Aunt Lydia," he chided gently. "We've all been doing family stuff almost every day."

It was true, too. They rarely had the chance to see Lydia and Deb and family was one of the most important things to Pops. As a result, he always made sure that he and the boys took the time to spend time with Lydia and Deb when they made their summer visits.

This visit hadn't been any different. Lydia had even taken a few days off of work since she was always too busy to make a trip down to Chicago to visit her father the rest of the year. Asides from their frequent barbeques, they had spent Labor Day yesterday as a family. They'd gone to the park, had an elaborate picnic and had ended the night with a display of fireworks.

Now it was their last night in California - everything had been packed and they were ready for their flight tomorrow right after lunch with Lydia and Deb - and Pops had seen no reason why Booth and Temperance couldn't go out on their own one last time.

Booth eyed his reflection in the mirror for a few seconds before smiling, satisfied. His arms lowered and he popped the collar of his shirt, smoothing down the nonexistent wrinkles. He reached for his jacket, marveling over how happy he felt. He was feeling so light that he could actually start whistling a happy tune at any moment.

It was strange how, just two weeks ago, he had been so suffocated with the grief and anger and sorrow that his father had brought with him that it had felt as though he'd never be happy again in his life.

Lydia sighed as she watched Booth shrug on his leather jacket. "It's your last night in town," she reminded him for the hundredth time.

Booth sighed, placing his hands on Lydia's shoulders and looking her straight in the eye. "Aunt Dee," he used the affectionate nickname Pops had for her. "I love you, I really do. But Bones is important to me, okay? I've spent time with the family, everyone's doing their own thing tonight. I already asked Pops and he said it's okay. I'm taking Bones out like I promised her."

Lydia could see the determination in Booth's eyes. Knowing that he wouldn't give up on his date - and, really, she never had any real hope that he would; she was only concerned with the amount of time Booth was investing in his girlfriend. She knew that first love could be all-consuming and she didn't want him to get too caught up in it - Lydia sighed.

Nodding, resignation sinking in, she lightly brushed a kiss against Booth's temple. "Have fun," she wished him, and her smile was only halfway forced.

Grinning at her, Booth replied, "I will. Thanks." And simply because he knew how difficult it must have been for his stubborn, hard-headed aunt to let it go considering her seemingly never-changing view on Temperance, he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

As he walked down the stairs, he indulged himself with whistling a meaningless, happy little tune. He was still in a happy mood, even when he found Temperance sitting next to Jared in the living room.

The whole time they had been in California, Jared had doubled his efforts to spend more time with Temperance. While Booth loved his brother. He often thought of Jared as the only remaining link to their mother that he had left. That didn't mean, however, that he wanted to share his own time with Temperance with him.

To his disgruntlement, Temperance saw absolutely no problem whatsoever spending time with Jared. She adored him, once even confiding in Booth that she thought of Jared as a younger brother she had never had.

What with David's impromptu visit to the beach house a few weeks ago, Temperance had been even more protective of Jared. She was like a mother cub and had somehow gotten it in her head that he needed mollycoddling.

"You're not the only one who was visited by his abusive father," she'd constantly reminded Booth. "You have me. Maybe he needs someone, too."

Jared, of course, milked the extra attention he was receiving for all that it was worth. He'd crashed their trips to the beach numerous times, though Booth was skilled in shaking him off so that he and Temperance could have some semblance of privacy in the day time as well as at night.

Temperance was sitting on the couch in the living room, Jared next to her. The TV was on, some movie playing, and Jared was animatedly explaining it to her, a huge smile on his face and his dark eyes fixed almost solely on her as he spoke. Booth had to roll his eyes when he noticed that Jared's smile grew wider when Temperance laughed at something he said.

_Course, I can't blame him_, Booth admitted grudgingly. He stood there in the entryway to the living room, leaning against the doorway. Crossing his arms over his chest, he watched with an unabashed smile. _She's so beautiful when she smiles_.

Pushing away from the doorframe, he stepped into the room and cleared his throat to catch their attention. Temperance looked up and he absolutely loved it that her pretty smile grew until it spread from one ear to another as she caught his eye.

"Booth," she said, and her voice resembled a soft, loving caress. It sent shivers down his spine and he was suddenly overcome with the sudden urge to wrap her in a hug and press his lips to hers.

Mindful of Jared's presence, Booth merely smiled back at her. "Are you ready to go?" Just like Jared had before, he kept his eyes on Temperance, enjoying the pretty sparkle in her vivid eyes.

She nodded, standing up delicately and smoothing down the front of her dress. "I'm ready," she informed him sweetly. "Goodnight, Jared. Have fun with your movie."

Jared, smile dimming now that she was leaving, raised an eyebrow at the two of them.

Booth and Temperance had spent every single day together this summer, whether it was spending time at the basketball court back home or going to the movies or even here in California where they'd go to the beach until it was dark then go out at night whenever possible.

Pops had refused to answer Jared's question about the nature of Booth and Temperance's relationship. Instead, he'd gone in a roundabout manner, telling Jared that of course the two would want to spend time together - not only were they nearly the same age and in the same grade, they were best friends. It was only natural.

Jared, however, wasn't blind. Temperance always seemed to dress up whenever she and Booth went out at night - pretty dresses and nice outfits that made her look even more beautiful than usual. Booth, too, seemed to dress nicer when he took her out.

They acted differently around each other, as well. Jared noticed the shy smiles they shared, the pretty blush that adorned Temperance's cheek every time she was in Booth's proximity and the adoring looks they shared but thought were being discreet about.

Jared had a very strong suspicion that Booth and Temperance were seeing one another, and another suspicion that Pops knew about it. After all, why else would his grandfather be so nonchalant about Jared's spoken suspicions? And why else would Pops always try to divert his attention every time he started up with his questions?

"You guys going out again?" he asked, stopping Booth and Temperance in their tracks.

Booth shot him an exasperated look. It wasn't that he strived to be unkind to his younger brother, but he had spent almost two days surrounded by family nearly every minute, leaving him very little time to spend with Temperance.

He was desperate for her touch, even if it was only a chaste kiss or her hand slipping into his. She had the strangest way of calming him down with just the lightest touch…He was starting to feel a little lost without it after having gotten so acquainted with it.

"Of course we are," he gestured towards their clothes. "What do you think?"

Jared scowled at his brother. "Oh," he muttered, sounding a little dejected. "I thought maybe we could watch the movie together," he directed this at Temperance.

She bit her lip, her eyes lingering on Jared for a long moment before dragging to Booth. He could clearly see the guilt in her eyes.

_I can't believe my little brother's playing her_, Booth thought incredulously. "Bones, he'll be fine," he groaned. "He's just messing with you."

Temperance didn't seem like she was convinced - Booth knew that she, more than anyone else he had ever met, understood how he was feeling. Although Booth couldn't tell for sure, he knew Jared must feel the same way, or similarly anyway.

Temperance was convinced that Jared needed someone around. She was also convinced that 'someone' meant her and Booth - after all, who better to help than two people who had gone through the same thing?

Booth sighed, reaching out to take her hand. "Ba-" he caught himself before using the term of endearment he had gotten so used to calling her.

"Bones," he corrected himself, his eyes darting to Jared to make sure he hadn't noticed anything. Of course, the only thing Jared was concentrating on was Booth's and Temperance's entwined fingers.

He squeezed her hand once gently before letting go. "We can stay if you want, but we've been spending a lot of time with Jared and the rest of the family these past couple of days," he reminded her. "I just thought it'd be nice if we could have fun tonight, just the two of us…"

Temperance smiled softly at him, her blue eyes glinting almost silver as she gazed at him. "That does sound good," she admitted, remembering his promise to take her to the coffee house near the pier she had enjoyed due to their cozy atmosphere and what seemed to be a thousand different kinds of coffee on their menu.

Jared sighed as he noticed Temperance's reluctance. As much as he wanted her to sit back down with him, he knew his older brother would probably intrude on their time.

Besides, he didn't want to upset Temperance in any way.

She had been good at distracting him, making him forget about how all he could think about was his days back in his childhood home, and how his heart hurt all the time.

When he was around Temperance, she seemed to jumble up his mind enough that he couldn't remember to think of the memories that had been dredged up recently. She was pretty and kind and there was always this look in her eyes that made him feel like she knew exactly where he was, how he felt.

On some level, Jared knew Booth was going through the same thing he was, or something like it. He knew that his brother had gone through this dark time the last time their dad had left, but there was this stinging burning in his chest that stopped Jared from confiding in Booth.

He knew that he was probably being unfair to Booth but he couldn't help it - something in his heart rebelled against the idea that anyone could really understand the turmoil he was feeling.

Temperance didn't understand, either. Not really. But she made it slightly easier to not be drowned in all that pain and sorrow and burning hatred.

"It's fine," Jared said, sighing once more. "You should go."

Booth smiled at Temperance. "See?" he prompted.

Temperance gave Jared an appraising look. "I don't know…" she trailed off unsurely. Jared had sounded gloomy to her.

Jared shook his head. "Really," he insisted. "We'll watch a movie together some other time. 'kay, Tempe?"

She smiled, nodding. "Sure, that sounds fun," she agreed.

Booth wrapped his arm around Temperance's shoulders, though he did throw Jared a discreet look over his shoulder when the two of them starting walking away.

He had to admit that, even without Temperance confiding that she was worried about Jared, Booth himself was concerned. While he had kept his feelings buried inside, unwilling to discuss it with anyone and unwilling to really deal with any of his issues, Jared had lashed out.

Booth remembered petty things Jared had done last time around - stolen a few things from the grocery store a few blocks down until he was banned from coming back, starting a fight with a schoolmate, that sort of thing. Things never escalated to the extreme but it had worried Pops for a long time, even when Jared had seemingly gotten better.

This time, Jared had been pretty mellow. Booth wasn't sure if he really wasn't rattled or if he was just keeping it hidden well.

_Doesn't seem like him though_, Booth thought critically. _Jared's always acted out instead of mope about things, even when dad was still around and mom was still alive_.

It had only served to anger David more when he was having one of his 'episodes' - a word that Booth's mother had used to call David's drunken rages. Booth remembered working three times as hard trying to calm David down whenever this happened, and failing miserably each time.

Bending his head slightly, his lips brushed her ear as he whispered, "I'll keep an eye on him. I promise."

He meant every word and she could tell. She knew that Booth would do anything for his brother, even if he acted as though Jared was a pain. It was a strange sort of brotherly bond that she would never understood, at least not easily.

If it made him feel better to convince himself that he was simply going to do this for Temperance, she'd allow him.

"Good," she whispered back, her shining eyes letting him know without words that she was proud of his little baby step. She waited until they were out the front door and it was closed behind them before she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

* * *

><p>Temperance grinned happily as she wrapped her hands around the steaming mug of coffee Booth had brought over to their table.<p>

Booth watched in amusement as she dipped her head, inhaling the warm aroma of the liquid. Her eyes fluttered closed and a tiny sound of approval escaped her lips before she brought the mug to her mouth, sipping her coffee bit by bit.

Chuckling, Booth shook his head. She was only fourteen years old and had started drinking coffee only this last year but she had quickly learned to love it. Now she rarely ever went a single day without it.

Raising her head slightly, Temperance met Booth's eyes over the rim of her coffee mug. "What?" she asked guardedly.

He shrugged, smiling fondly at her as he sank down next to her on the cushy booth. "Nothing," he assured her. At her raised eyebrow, he relented, "You just…You're addicted to coffee, aren't you?"

She glared at him without any real heat. "I'm not addicted, Booth," she chided softly. "I just like it."

"Excessively," Booth nodded.

"No," she swatted his arm, a huge smile breaking out over her face. "I like it normally, Booth."

Booth shot her a teasing smirk, wrapping his arm around her waist and gently pulling her towards him so that her drink wouldn't spill. She giggled happily, snuggling into his side comfortably. He gazed down at her, smiling warmly as she peppered feather light, gentle kisses against his neck.

"It's really nice that we came back here," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder.

Resisting the urge to say 'I told you so', knowing she wouldn't appreciate it at all, Booth buried his nose into her hair. "It is," he agreed. "This place is kinda relaxing, huh?"

Temperance nodded, her eyes roving the scenery even when her head remained stationary against him. "Yes," she whispered, taking in the light cream walls and the mocha colored furniture. Something about the eclectic furnishing and the cozy sofa-like booths made her feel very comfortable in this place. So much so that she had made it a point to visit it a few times a week since they'd arrived. "It is."

They fell into a comfortable silence when there was a loud screech. They looked towards the stage to see a woman in her twenties with wavy dark hair adjusting the microphone near the piano.

"Is she going to play music?" Temperance mused out loud.

Booth shrugged lightly, "Looks like it."

"Hi, everyone," the woman smiled warmly as she spoke into the microphone. "I'm on my break right now and, uh…We don't have anyone scheduled to perform but my boss said I could sing a song or two if no one complains so, uh…Hope you enjoy."

A few people clapped hesitantly, unsure if they would enjoy her performance at all, but an enthusiastic shout came from the male barista, coming from the general area of the front counter, "Whoo! Go Michelle!"

The woman, Michelle, laughed into the microphone as she settled onto the bench, her fingers gently resting atop the black and white keys. She pressed a few random notes before a steady flow of pretty music began to play.

The woman began to sing and Temperance was surprised at how pretty her voice was.

"It's the little things

They pulled me in and I'm defenseless

I try to ignore like I've done before but it's just useless

I've made up my mind that I'm gonna let you in

And I'm not afraid but I have to say

This is gonna hurt if it ever ends

But somehow you out shattered my defense

This is gonna hurt if it ever starts

So promise you'll be careful with my heart"

A bittersweet smile stole across Temperance's lips as she thought of how ironic the lyrics to Michelle's song fitted her life so perfectly at the moment.

Without meaning to, her mind spiraled back, bringing her back to the night she and Booth had first talked about where they wanted their relationship to go, what sort of future they pictured having together.

_She had changed into her sleep clothes and was comfortably sitting up in the plushy bed in the guest house when Booth knocked on the wood of the back door leading to the guest chambers._

_She didn't move from where she was and didn't have time to call for him to enter, but this was such a practiced ritual by now - there hadn't been a single night since David's brief reappearance in his life that Booth hadn't gone to Temperance to soak himself in the warmth and comfort of her embrace. She seemed to make his nightmares wane bit by bit and he absolutely adored that about her._

_He pushed the door opened, stepped through into the room and closed the door behind him, locking it. "Hey," he murmured, a soft smile spreading across his lips as he caught sight of her._

_She was in bed, the covers bunched up on her lap, a thick book he wouldn't ever dare to touch let alone attempt to read in her hands. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun at the nape of her neck and her face was free of the little amount of makeup she wore during the day. She had never looked more beautiful to him, her vivid eyes sparkling as they followed his movements across the room._

_He went over to his side of the bed - that, too, seemed to make him smile uncontrollably; the fact that they had their own 'sides' in bed - kicking off his shoes and shedding his clothes until he was left in his boxers and his matching Snoopy socks. She had set the temperature in the room, and it was comfortably warm enough that he didn't need to wear anything more._

"_No problems?" was all she asked but he understood the meaning well enough - it was the first thing she'd asked every night he had slipped into her room well past midnight._

_Shaking his head, Booth fluffed his pillow and propped it up against his headboard, leaning his back against it once he was done. "Nope," he replied simply, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close to him._

_She didn't protest, smiling even as she allowed him to pull her to his chest. She turned her head to the side, tilting back enough for it to be comfortable for their lips to brush together in a kiss so soft and so light that it resembled a gentle brush of a butterfly's wings._

_She pulled back barely two seconds later, leaving him happy but wholly unsatisfied - it was always 'want more, more, more' with her. She rested her forehead against the side of his head, her thick lashes fluttering against his cheek as she blinked shyly into his eyes._

"_I missed you," she murmured, her lips so very near his ear._

_Even though he felt the same way, he couldn't help the teasing smirk he sent her way. "I was only gone for a couple hours, Bones," he ran his hands up and down her sides, loving the slight tremble he could feel running through her body. He absolutely loved having that effect on her. "I'm that pine-able, huh?"_

_Temperance shot him a glare through dangerously narrowed eyes. She would've shoved his roving hands away from her body if she didn't love being in his arms so much. "That's not even a real word, Booth," she chided instead._

_He chuckled. "Sure it is," he replied easily, bending his head slightly to nuzzle the side of her neck with his nose, his hands slipping underneath the sleep shirt she was wearing, greedy fingers grazing silky skin. "You were pining for me. I'm pine-able."_

_She fought down a furious blush, glaring at him. "First of all - I wasn't pining for you. And secondly…No, it's not a real word," she corrected him, determined to stay as rational and as pissed off at him as possible._

_Judging from her breathless tone, however, Booth knew she wasn't doing so well. He also knew she was stubborn as hell and would fight like hell to keep her composure if he even mentioned her losing grip in the slightest._

"_I've read the Oxford dictionary at least once and there's no such word listed, Booth…"_

_He rolled his eyes to himself. Trust Temperance Brennan to read a freaking dictionary._

_When she continued her rant about using proper grammar and misusing the English language, he cupped the soft hair at the back of her head, turning her head slightly so that she was looking at him._

_Shutting her up the only way he knew how, he brought his lips down to hers for what he'd intended to be a quick kiss._

_Like he'd said before, though, everything with her these days was just 'more, more, more'. It was like he craved to be near her, with her, around her, be surrounded by her - at all times._

_When he wasn't, it drove him crazy. Not just mentally - though he did notice that there was a certain familiar darkness that crept into the edges of his mind whenever they were apart lately - but physically as well._

_The craving was a growing addiction, something that he couldn't satisfy with a quick fix anymore, especially if they'd been gone from one another for too long, or if they'd gone longer than a few hours without even the slightest hint of intimacy._

_When he was with her, all he wanted to do was feed this dangerous, frightening, wonderful, crazy, beautiful addiction. All he wanted was to drown in her, in everything she stood for in his world._

_Frankly, all of these new, powerful emotions scared the living daylights out of him and it wasn't uncommon at all for him to stay up late at night, in her bed with her wrapped so tantalizingly around him, just gazing down at her, confused as hell._

_He knew he loved her, knew he had shot straight to 'I'm so goddamned in love with you' without even having realized it, but who knew love had so many layers, so much depth to it? He had never actually thought about it much. He'd never realized there was anything to think about - love was love. Either you loved somebody or you didn't._

_Then came Temperance and just like that, his world had tilted on its axis._

_Not much made sense anymore yet everything was suddenly so much brighter, clearer. It made his head spin and his stomach feeling a little sick but in a good way - like before one of his games, where he was pumped up, nervous and excited and all that._

_He had decided, after a few sleepless nights just staring at her while she slept on relatively peacefully, that he wasn't going to think too much about it. He was getting nowhere being all worked up over it and truthfully, he wasn't the one who liked to mull and over think and analyze everything. That was Temperance's job._

_He was more of a gut person and his gut was telling him to just go with the flow, to love her because she was honestly the best damn thing that had ever happened to him._

_So he'd taken his subconscious' advice - Jesus, how insane did that sound! - and he'd just continued loving her._

_That hadn't, in any way, staved off or even just lessened the craving he felt for her._

_Fortunately for him - and unfortunately for him all at the same time - Temperance seemed to feel the same way as well._

_It was like when they had taken that first baby step towards becoming more intimate with each other, they had opened up the floodgates and all their hormones were flooding in, swallowing them whole._

_He winced slightly, rethinking his choice of words when his mind involuntarily flashed back to just a few days before when she had touched him for the first time, bare skin to bare skin. She had been so shy, so unsure of herself, but so curious at the same time._

_They'd been in her guest house, which had become their own private getaway from the rest of the family, and he had gone into her bathroom to take a shower - he'd played a good game of soccer with some of his buddies earlier on while she'd watched and cheered him on, a nice reminder of their time at the basketball court back home, and he had been so wiped out that he'd fallen asleep the moment they'd returned to the beach house, still in his sandy clothes, covered in sweat._

_He'd slept all the way through dinner and had woken after everyone had gone to bed. Not wanting to miss any more time with Temperance than necessary, he'd grabbed a change of clothes and dashed straight for the guest house. She had a better bathroom anyway._

_The shower stall had a curtain surrounding it and he'd been so engrossed in his well overdue hot shower that he didn't realize that Temperance was right in the bathroom with him, brushing her teeth, until she had called out to him._

"_Booth?"_

_He'd jumped, almost slipping on the wet tiles. Gripping the metal rail on the wall, he had steadied himself then pulled the curtain back slightly so that only his head was visible, the curtain keeping the rest of his body covered._

"_Bones?" he'd squinted, blinking away the water that dripped from the wet hair plastered to his forehead. "Why are you in here?" He hadn't at all been proud of the fact that his voice sounded squeaky._

_She, on the other hand, hadn't seem at all perturbed by the fact that he was naked except for a thin, nearly see-through shower curtain. She'd simply put her cleaned toothbrush down, turned off the tap and had calmly walked closer to the shower stall._

_His eyes had widened. "Whoa, hey, a little space here, Bones," he'd practically shouted in terror. As much as they had explored each other's bodies, they had never been fully naked in front of one another apart from that one time taking a bath together. It had made him incredibly nervous to feel so exposed with her around, as strange as that was. He was still getting used to being almost naked around her._

_Temperance had rolled her eyes at him. "Would you relax?" she'd huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "You have a shower curtain covering you, for God's sake. I can't see through it."_

_He'd shifted uncomfortably, pulling the curtain tighter around himself._

"_I was just going to ask if you wanted anything to eat," she'd continued on. Despite the irritated tone of her voice, he had been able to see the concern she had for him. "You missed dinner."_

_He grinned at her gratefully. "Aw, thanks, babe," he sighed happily. "I am pretty hungry."_

_She'd nodded knowingly. "I thought so," she took a half step forward before freezing in her tracks. "Can I have a kiss or will you have a panic attack if I move any closer?"_

_He had rolled his eyes, stuck his neck out further to accept her kiss and called out that he was in the mood for leftover turkey sandwiches from lunch if there was any left as she left the bathroom._

_He had gone back to his shower, only to step out stark naked a few minutes later, a tiny little towel clutched in his hand in the process of drying his face. He hadn't even realized that she was back in the guest house until he'd stepped into the bedroom and startled himself at the sight of her, placing a plate of food on the desk by the window._

"_Bones!" he'd sputtered, and his heart rate had spiked to a dangerous high as he stared wide eyed at her. "What…You're back? That was impossibly fast."_

_She hadn't answered him, though her eyes had widened comically, her gaze falling below his waist. And, of course, being the teenage boy that he was, his body responded to just her look. Traitor, he'd chided himself._

_He'd scrambled for a larger towel or an article of clothing - anything that was within his reach - to cover himself with but she had merely calmly walked over to him, her gaze still riveted to his body. After a few long - slightly awkward on his part - silence, she'd finally dragged her eyes back up his body, over his glistening torso and reached his twin chocolate brown orbs._

_As though she had only realized what she'd been doing, as though she was just now realizing that yes, he was naked and yes, she was standing there gaping at him, her ivory cheeks suddenly flooded red._

_Her eyes had fluttered adorably a few times before her teeth had caught her bottom lip. He watched with fascination as she sucked the flesh into her mouth, resisting the urge to groan at the innocent gesture. Any other girl and he'd know they were trying to seduce him. This particular girl, however, and he knew she just simply had no idea what she did to him._

_Then, looking at him so shyly, and blushing just as much, she'd asked the most ridiculous, most appealing, most inappropriately blunt question that it made him want to either tear his hair out of his scalp in frustration or pull her in for the hot kiss he'd been fantasizing about for the past minute and a half._

"_Can I touch it?"_

_The feel of something soft and firm settling on top of him, fingers tugging impatiently at the short dark strands of his hair, brought him crashing back to the present._

_While he had been taking a trip down memory lane in his mind, Temperance had gotten a little too into their kiss. He was laying flat on his back on the bed now, her body resting on top of his, mouth latched to his and hands roaming everywhere they could reach._

_His body responded enthusiastically to her ministrations, his own hands gripping her hips tightly. She didn't seem to mind, her hips moving deliciously against his own in what was becoming a familiar practice. It was only when he felt her nimble hands tugging on his boxers, clearly wanting them off, that he started to pull back._

_Her blue eyes were clouded with lust and affection though confusion was slowly starting to break through. "Booth…?"_

_He sighed, reaching up to offer her an apologetic kiss. He smiled when she accepted it easily, then sat up, Temperance straddling him. While their positions might be compromising, their lust had waned a little, leaving behind an innocent affectionate embrace between two lovers._

_Temperance smiled shyly, her fingers curling on his bare skin. "Is there something the matter?" she murmured, her eyebrows furrowing in concern. "You seem distracted."_

_He nodded, keeping one arm wrapped around her small waist as he raked his fingers through his hair. "I am," he admitted. "I've been…Thinking."_

"_Thinking?" she repeated as though the word was foreign coming from him. "About what?"_

_He exhaled wearily. Ever since he had walked away from Temperance outside on the gazebo, his mind had been swirling with unanswered questions and anxious speculations. Their talk about what would happen to them, their relationship, had really gotten him reeling. He couldn't let it go, even now being wrapped up in her._

_As he'd waited for the others to fall asleep, he'd lain in bed, eyes wide open staring at the ceiling as he thought of everything they'd spoken of and everything they hadn't. His mind had involuntarily ran through it all over and over again._

_He hadn't mentioned it to Temperance but he was terrified of what would happen when they got back to their real life in Chicago. Her worries and her fears had only spurned on his own._

_After a dizzying few hours thinking of absolutely nothing but how scared he was if everything started to change, he'd come to the decision that he and Temperance needed to talk, to figure out how it was all going to work out._

"_Could we maybe talk?" he asked her in a soft murmur, running a hand through the silky strands of her hair and down her back in a repeated cycle. "I just…I think we should finish our conversation earlier."_

_Her eyebrows furrowed together. He hadn't mentioned anything earlier about wanting to talk further before they had parted ways earlier and frankly, she wasn't so keen on it. She was still anxious over their last discussion._

"_I was under the impression that we _were_ finished with our conversation earlier," she replied wryly._

_Despite her wary, slightly icy tone, Temperance made no move to climb off his lap. He was grateful for that because even if they weren't testing their physical boundaries, he'd gotten so addicted to her touch that he craved even the simplest, most innocent gestures at all times._

_He gave her a knowing look, letting her know that he knew she wasn't as naïve as she was making herself out to be, and he understood her reservations but this wasn't a conversation they could just shove aside. It had to happen sooner or later and he was clearly ready to have their discussion now._

_She sighed, and he could see her relenting just by looking into her eyes - ice blue was softening into a pretty, soft color he couldn't quite describe. He nuzzled her jaw and pressed a soft kiss to her nose in thanks._

"_Okay," she mumbled hesitantly. "Let's talk."_

_He had to crack a small grin at just how unenthusiastic she sounded. "Okay," he agreed softly. "Look, I have to admit, ever since we talked just now…I've been sort of…" He trailed off, the words completely abandoning him._

_She lifted an eyebrow at him. "Worried?" she offered._

_He nodded slowly. "Sure," he shrugged. "Worried."_

_Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him, that brilliant glint in her eye telling him that she was carefully assessing him. It made him nervous, to see that look directed at him, because as obtuse as she could be about other people, she was almost always spot on when it came to him. "You're concerned that my fears would come true," she observed in a quiet murmur. "You're worried we'd drift apart."_

_For some reason, he felt obliged to protest immediately. "No, I'm not, absolutely not," he stated as firmly as he could, shaking his head vehemently. She stared disbelievingly at him and he insisted, "I'm not worried about drifting apart."_

_Her eyes seemed to gain that stern glare that he was still, shamefully, afraid of._

"_Okay, I'm not worried about it _much_," he finally relented. She would've smiled at that, if only the subject wasn't so heavy. "I just think that we'd be less anxious about what's coming if we actually _talked_ about what's coming, y'know? If we maybe even start to plan our future."_

_Her smile had dropped completely. Her eyes were as unsure as her tone as she spoke, "Do you really think we have a future together?"_

_He seemed hurt by her question. "Of course I do," he replied, his tone slightly defensive. "Why, don't you? I mean…All that talk about us drifting apart…Do you really believe that?"_

_She shook her head. "No, it's not that," she reassured him. "I just wondered if you meant, you know, a short term future or a long term future."_

_He understood then. It wasn't that she was questioning their affection for one another. She was merely asking out of her own insecurities. "Baby, you know I'm in it for the long haul," he hastened to assure her. "I just want the future to not be so scary to us."_

"_And you think if we talked about it, it wouldn't be," she deduced. He shrugged, nodding in agreement. "What do you want to do? Make plans?"_

_He grinned slightly. "It's a good start, don't you think?"_

_She nodded slowly. Her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth as a contemplative look came across her delicate features. "Where do you want to start?" she asked, figuring that it was better if she asked questions instead of begin on her own, especially since she had no idea where to start._

"_After high school," he replied immediately, giving her the impression that he'd thought about this more than he had let on. "You know I meant what I said about us staying together through senior year."_

_He was more than glad when she nodded, a determined glint in her eyes. It seemed as though her insecurities over their relationship continuing next year was starting to fade a little. He was even happier that she seemed as determined as he was to follow through on their promise to try as hard as they could to overcome whatever obstacles they might once school started again in a few weeks._

_Her brows furrowed together at his answer, and he hurried to elaborate. "I just…I want to know what your plans for college are," he admitted, stumbling over his words simply because he wanted so badly not to give the wrong impression._

_He knew she was smart - incredibly smart. He was worried and proud all at the same time if she had some big plans to go to one of those fancy colleges._

_Temperance nodded her head slowly, chewing almost aggressively on her bottom lip. "Well, I'm going to apply to several, of course, just in case I don't get into the one I want," she began._

_Booth almost scoffed out loud - the idea that any institute would reject her was just plain ridiculous._

"_But I think I want to stay close to home," she blushed a deep red when she said this._

_Even after months of calling Pops' house 'home', she was still self conscious about her place in their lives. After all, who knew if Pops wanted her around after she was of legal age? It would make sense if he wanted her gone after she was out of the system - that would mean that she was out of his care and he'd have more time to focus on his actual, blood family._

_As impossible as it might be, Booth seemed to understand her thought process even when she hadn't said a word of it out loud, not even the slightest hint. He gave her a warm look filled with understanding and love and kindness and it instantly gave her that fuzzy feeling like she belonged with him, like he was home to her. He brushed a gentle kiss to her lips, though he remained silent and waited for her to continue._

_Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, she did just that. "I think I'd want to go to Northwestern," she admitted finally._

_His eyebrows shot up. Northwestern was in Chicago itself, not all that far from their house back home. He himself was thinking of applying there. He was surprised that she wanted to go there. Not that it was a bad school, of course not, but he'd expected her answer to be something like 'Harvard' or something. She was certainly brilliant enough to get in, in his honest opinion._

"_Really?"_

_He knew his incredulity was evident._

_She suddenly seemed defensive, her eyes and tone guarded, "Why? You don't think I can get in?"_

_The question was so ludicrous that he just about bust up laughing. Of course, the combination of her hurt and the anger he could detect in her voice made him ended up choking instead. Once his fit had subsided somewhat, he stared at her disbelievingly. "Bones, don't be ridiculous," he shook his head._

_How someone like her could have so little belief in themselves was beyond him. He knew, of course, of her less than orthodox childhood as a kid genius who preferred reading and learning things far beyond that anyone her age could understand, and he knew that her family abandoning her had done an enormous number on her, but her desperately low self-esteem astounded him every time, mostly because he couldn't imagine a better human being than her._

"_You are so incredible, baby," he soothed when he noticed that the guarded look was still in her steely eyes. "So wonderful. And you have such a beautifully big brain." Her nose scrunched up at that and she made an annoyed face at him, even as she blushed the whole time. "I just thought you were gonna go for the big leagues, you know?"_

"_The big leagues?"_

_He nodded. "Y'know…The Ivy schools. I thought you were gonna go to Harvard or Princeton or something. Northwestern is great and all - I'm thinking of going there myself," he informed her, making her heart skip a beat. "But you've gotta admit it's no Ivy school."_

_She grinned a little, touched by his faith in her - especially his faith in her mind, the one thing that she had always been proud of about herself. She bit her lip as bits and pieces of flashbacks from her past came to the forefront of her mind._

"_I dreamed of going to Yale when I was younger," she admitted softly to him. "My family and I went to Boston once and I'd been enamored with the Harvard campus. My dad and I made a list of the colleges I could attend when I graduated high school…We made pro and con lists for each one. It took longer than I thought to narrow it down to just one…Right before he left, we were left with only two choices: Yale, or Oxford. My mom said that she would miss me too much if I went as far as London so we decided on Yale."_

_This was one of those rare times when she opened up about her past, her parents. He could see the tears brimming in her eyes. The sadness that swam in those perfect baby blues made his chest clench painfully and his heart break just a little for her._

_He reached up and brushed his thumb at the edge of her eyes, wiping away a drop of tear that had leaked out. "Baby, you can still go to Yale if you want to," and he fully believed that she could. She looked at him curiously, blinking away the tears as much as she could so that they could look into each other's eyes. "I can see how much this means to you. I can see it…You miss your dad a lot, huh?"_

_She nodded, her lower lip trembling. "My mother understood me," she spoke so quietly that he almost had to strain to hear her. "She knew me better than I knew myself. But my father…He understood my mind. And that was greater somehow because I felt like no one did, like I was an oddity because my mind worked so much faster than everyone else's. He made me feel like that was a good thing, made me feel proud of my intelligence, relish in it…"_

_They were silent for a few long seconds, Temperance sighing as she allowed herself to be soothed by Booth's large hands smoothing repeatedly over her back. The warmth from the palm of his hands seeped through her relatively thin sleep shirt, making her smile. It amazed her how he could make her feel so much better without even speaking._

"_But that doesn't matter now," she spoke hurriedly. "That dream is over. I'm moving on from that."_

_His eyebrows furrowed together. "Bones, you're the smartest person I know," he was quick to encourage her. "I know you can get in if you want to."_

_Her smile was wry though her eyes were soft and indulging as she gazed at him, soothing the sting of her words, "Booth, most of the people you spend time with are mindless jocks who can't pass basic algebra. Calling me the smartest person you know isn't exactly the biggest compliment."_

_He faked a cry of agony, placed his hand over his heart and pretended that he was fatally wounded by her words. She laughed, loudly and freely, with absolutely no worries at all of being caught. _I'll admit I'll miss this freedom when we head back to Chicago_, she thought wistfully as he cupped the back of her head and brought her towards him for a loving kiss._

"_Bones," he breathed, his heart hammering almost painfully against his chest as they finally pulled away from their passionate kiss. Pressing his forehead against hers, he waited until they were both calmed enough before he spoke. "I want us to stay together in college," he admitted freely. "I'm worried about the long distance thing. I don't know if that works and I'm scared that we'll drift apart if we actually stay apart for four years…"_

_Taking a deep exhale, he forced himself to say his next words, "But you deserve so much, baby. You deserve everything. I don't want us to stay together just for the sake of our relationship. I don't want you to hate me for it someday."_

_She looked taken aback by that and her lips parted to protest - she couldn't imagine a world where she would ever resent him, for anything._

_He shook his head, shushing her gently and pressing a finger to her lips. She nodded, letting him know she'd allow him to continue before speaking, and he smiled in gratitude, letting his hand fall away. "I know how much your parents meant to you, Bones, and I can see how much Yale means to you even now…If that is what you want, then go for it. It's important to you, I get that. I don't want you to lose out on a dream like that. I know you can get in, baby."_

_Temperance sighed, her fingers scratching gently down his lean torso. "I can't tell you how much it means to me that you have so much faith in me," she said shyly, peeking at him beneath thick black lashes. "But I was right when I said I can't get in…Booth, as amazing as my grades could be, do you know how difficult it would be to get into an Ivy League school? I'd not only have to have good grades, I'd have to have a ton of extra credits. I've never done that…I've moved around so much, gone to so many different schools…Everything's all over the place. My intelligence might have gotten me this far but there's no way I can make up for all the extra curriculum that's missing on my transcript in just one year."_

"_But you're in debate team, aren't you?" his eyebrows pulled together._

"_I don't think that's enough," she replied, looking a little sad. "I'm not saying I won't try, Booth, but even if I do get in…It's much too expensive."_

_He looked a little lost, like he was trying his hardest to come up with a brilliant solution at that very moment, like he was brainstorming. She felt a certain warmness in her heart that he was thinking so hard for her to achieve a past dream of hers._

_She reached out and pressed her fingertips to his jaw lightly. His dark brown eyes fell on hers and she smiled at him. "Booth…Thank you, for wanting this for me, even if it means we'd be apart," she murmured, leaning in to brush soft kisses all over his face. "But I meant what I said. I'm over it now. Northwestern is more than sufficient, Booth. And it's really not whether I go to an Ivy school or not. It's more about what I accomplish rather than where. I promise you, I'm happy enough going to college in Chicago."_

_He seemed less worried about it now, though she could see a certain wariness that kept him from feeling the happiness she was - how could she not be? She'd just found out that if everything went according to their plans, they'd both be attending the same college by the end of next year. How amazing would that be!_

_Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned her body into his as close as she could get and looked directly into his eyes. "Booth," she whispered, her face so close to his that her lips brushed against his when she spoke. "Yale meant a lot to me, I'll admit to that, but you mean so much more."_

_He seemed a little disbelieving. "Yeah?" he asked, his dark eyes searching her pretty blue ones for the truth. Despite what she believed, she wasn't as great at keeping her emotions a secret, especially not when she had such expressive eyes._

_She nodded, allowing a happy smile to spread over her face. "Yes," she verified firmly. "I'd be really glad if we were to end up at Northwestern together, Booth."_

"It's the things you do

They made me fall hard for you and I can't help it

And it's every day that I feel this way

So just don't stop it

I've made up my mind that I'm gonna let you in

And I'm not afraid but I have to say

This is gonna hurt if it ever ends

But somehow you out shattered my defense

This is gonna hurt if it ever starts

So promise you'll be careful with my heart"

They hadn't continued their discussion that night, instead opting to cuddle together while Temperance had a little 'light' reading. Once Booth had gotten bored watching her read her insanely thick college level biology textbook, he'd tried and tried until he succeeded in distracting her from it.

He was still worried about their futures after high school but he'd taken the time to remind himself over and over again that they still had a year to worry about all of that. He hadn't wanted to ruin what little time they had left during the summer so he'd pushed aside his worries and they hadn't spoken of school or college ever since.

Now that Booth knew about her taking college courses as well as her high school classes, Temperance hadn't bothered to hide any of her books from him. He'd teased her about the books she'd brought over to California but he still couldn't help feeling just a tad proud of her. He was struggling through algebra and she was already working on college level essays and advanced biology.

What Booth didn't know was that as focused as Temperance was on making absolutely sure that she was ready for their upcoming senior year, she was also having the same thoughts he did about their future.

She didn't have the same thought process as he did - she wasn't one to procrastinate. She was already working on plans for college, eager to end high school after such a short time in it and ready to begin the next phase of her education. Because of this, she thought about where they were headed and if they would stay together through college all the time.

She knew her course load would only increase once she started college and she was worried that Booth's ideals about their relationship and how strong their bond was wouldn't hold. It terrified her that she and Booth would drift apart not only in terms of their romantic relationship but their friendship as well. Even though she had only known Booth for a few months, it was as though they had known each other for far longer than that. She couldn't imagine a time in her life when he wouldn't be her friend anymore.

"Booth?" she murmured, pressing her cheek against his shoulder as she looked up at him.

He smiled as he returned her gaze - he'd always loved looking into her eyes. They were always so pretty, and whenever she looked up at him from underneath those thick, dark lashes, his heart always seemed to skip a beat and break into a gallop.

"What is it, baby?" he asked, his fingers gently stroking back her hair from her face. He frowned when he saw that she wasn't smiling. "Is something wrong?"

She half shook her head, half shrugged. "I was just wondering," she began, her words slow and deliberate. He raised an eyebrow, a silent encouragement for her to continue. "I know we've been talking about the future and everything…"

He narrowed his eyes at her warily. "Are you having second thoughts again?" he fought his hardest not to sound exasperated - or fearful. There was something that kept her from truly believing him when he said that he was in it for the long term. He was pretty sure he was making progress when it came to her abandonment issues. It wasn't as though he expected her to be over it overnight but he didn't think she would constantly doubt him.

He tried not to take offense in the fact that she did. It wasn't as though he didn't enjoy taking the time to convince her that he was in it for real, anyway. Their discussions, while at times heavy, were always tinged with a certain sweetness that he loved and they always ended with physical affection…Which he loved even more.

Temperance shook her head slightly against his shoulder. Even if she was insecure about his devotion to her - it really astounded her sometimes that he would feel so strongly for her. She knew he felt it, there was no question about it, but she simply didn't understand why - she had no doubts that they were going to work their hardest to make it work the following school year. They'd talked excessively about it since that first night, after all.

What she was concerned about, however, was how long their relationship was going to survive. The thought that they'd be together forever didn't come as naturally to her as she knew it did to Booth. She wasn't swayed by the romance of first love. She knew that reality had the annoying ability to get in the way of 'happily ever after'. Look at what had happened to the happy ending she was supposed to get with her parents and her brother. None of it had worked out the way it was supposed to.

"No, it's not that," she assured him, blushing slightly when she felt his shoulders relax. She had been the one to constantly bring up her worries about continuing their clandestine relationship back home. "It's just that we're talking about college and making plans…" She leaned back slightly and tilted her head to look into his eyes. "Why are you so sure that we're going to last that long?"

He seemed decidedly hurt at her question and she rushed to explain, "It's not because I feel less for you - I don't. I just…"

Her emotions were confusing her enough that her tongue became all tongue-tied. In an effort to calm herself, and to ensure that Booth didn't notice, she resorted to her safety net: stating scientific facts in a literal manner.

"While I realize that you're willing to work on committing to a long-term relationship, and while I believe that the results of said relationship would be very satisfactory should we last…" she took a break from speech to pull in a much needed breath of air.

Booth took this opportunity to make his own deduction, "You just don't believe we _will_ last."

Blinking up at him in a naïve manner, she clarified, "I am merely _unconvinced_…The only reason I feel that way is because logic and science dictates that it's impossible for human beings to stay monogamous their entire lives, especially from such a young age…"

He shook his head. "It's not always about logic and science," he argued.

Temperance frowned at him. "Yes it is," she insisted stubbornly. "At least, it is for me. I'm not really all that equipped to use my gut like you do, Booth. I don't even believe in 'gut instinct," her eyebrows furrowed together. She was starting to ramble all over again and he looked on, partly bemused, "I mean, how do you really know, Booth? How do you know that this isn't all going to disappear someday? How are you so sure?"

"I have faith."

"Is that enough, though? Realistically speaking."

He frowned, sensing another one of her panic attacks. He leaned forward and placed his coffee on the table in front of them before turning to her, angling his body towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Baby, listen," he murmured softly. "Nothing's ever gonna be easy. I'll admit to that. But…" he sighed, struggling to find the right words. "I can't explain it, Bones. All I know is that we're gonna be okay."

The logical side of her wanted to argue. It seemed as though all she was doing lately was worry about their future. She couldn't help herself. Every time they had one of those moments between them, she'd feel the overwhelming urge to just let go of all her insecurities and her reservations. This was, of course, followed by the even more overwhelming need to rationalize every emotion. It was a way for her to soothe her fears.

"I want to believe that," she admitted to him.

He nodded, reaching out to gently stroke her hair from her face. "You will," he said firmly, smiling tenderly at her.

He was so close now, their foreheads pressed together and their noses brushing against one another. "I will?" she whispered, feeling as though speaking louder than that would break whatever spell they seemed to be trapped under.

He hummed in the back of his throat. "Yeah," he murmured, drawing her body close to his with one arm and cupping her porcelain cheek with his other hand. "You know what you gotta do? You've gotta put that brilliant mind of yours in neutral and that beautiful heart of yours into overdrive."

Her chuckle was warm and low as she considered his suggestion. "You know, sometimes I think you're from another planet," she teased him, her own hands pressing against his chest, her fingers rubbing up and down his clothed skin.

Booth leaned in even closer, brushing a soft, gentle kiss against her lips. It was so light but there was still enough electricity between them to make her lips tingle deliciously. "Don't think," he advised her in a low whisper. "Just feel."

"I can do that," she promised confidently, even if she felt just the opposite of that. Her fingers curled around his neck, her lips parting as his own drew nearer.

"I won't make excuses

They just all seem useless

You don't have the time

I guess I'll take my chances

Now that I know love is on the line

This is gonna hurt if it ever ends

But somehow you out shattered my defense

This is gonna hurt if it ever starts

So promise you'll be careful with my heart."

She barely registered that Michelle was starting a new song, much to the enthusiastic encouragement of the general crowd.

Booth was doing that thing with his tongue, and then their lips kept parting and meeting again in soft, sweet kisses. The mood shifted from lust to tenderness in mere seconds and Temperance shivered as she felt Booth's large, warm hands running down her back and smoothing through her hair. She absolutely loved being held in his arms - it made her toes curl and her insides go all warm and fuzzy. It was driving her insane trying to find just one word to describe it.

"I love you," Booth murmured between kisses, and her mind was instantly transported back just a few days ago back at the beach house.

"Here we are

Staring straight into tomorrow's eyes

What do you see?

Can you see the same as me?

We hold hands

We take walks and talk

And laugh about things

I'll tell you what

This could be the way

That every day was meant to be

I don't want to go

I don't want to stay one night

Or one day

I'll stay the rest of my life

I don't want to leave

I don't want to be one night

Or one day

I'll stay the rest of my life"

_A knock at the door startled Temperance and she looked up from the book she was reading to see Debbie stepping into the guest house. As her surprise faded, Temperance found herself smiling back at the woman. There was something very warm and welcoming about her that Temperance found oddly soothing._

"_Hey, what're you doing up here all by yourself?" Debbie asked as she stepped further into the room._

_She took a quick look around and noticed that everything was immaculate. It didn't seem like Temperance had moved anything at all the whole time she'd stayed there. Every surface was spotless, everything untouched. If it weren't for the girl herself sitting at the desk, reading her book, the room would've seemed like no one had been occupying it for the past couple of weeks._

"_Reading," Temperance answered matter-of-factly._

_Debbie chuckled a little. She had grown fond of Temperance and had loved the little quirks about her - even the fact that she took everything completely literally. "I know, sweetie," she assured her. "I just meant, you know, we're the only two people in the house. You wanna just hang out by the pool for a while?"_

_Temperance blushed, taken aback by the woman's offer, but nodded her head and smiled shyly anyway. "Oh…Sure," she answered, grabbing her book along with her as she stood up and followed Debbie out the door._

_The house seemed strangely silent without the others - Pops had taken Booth and Jared out. Booth had confided in Temperance that he thought Pops was going to have a serious talk with him and his brother about David. All three of them had avoided having such a discussion ever since that fateful day but Booth suspected that Pops felt as though this was something they couldn't just put off forever._

_Temperance had encouraged him to go with his grandfather when she'd heard that. As much as she tried to help him get past whatever dark and scary emotions he'd been having, she wasn't the most well equipped person to deal with matters of the heart. And if she wasn't doing everything that needed to be done, maybe Pops had a better insight._

_While the boys were out, Lydia had driven up to her office to check on things. That had left Debbie and Temperance alone for the first time._

_Temperance was slightly nervous. She liked Debbie but they had never really had a chance to spend time together alone before. She didn't know what was expected of her in situations like these and she didn't want to offend Booth's family. Deb, on the other hand, was absolutely thrilled. Temperance seemed to have a shy, guarded shell around her that Deb was determined to break through._

_They descended the stairs and made their way to the lounge chairs by the pool in silence. Debbie allowed the silence to stretch for a while as she settled comfortably on the lounger. She stretched her legs in front of her and placed her arms on either side of her body, tilting her head back to soak in the gentle warmth of the sun._

_After a moment, though, she asked, "So how are things going between you and Seeley?"_

_Temperance's skin flushed pink and she snuck a look at Deb. "Did…Um, did Lydia tell you about that?" she asked Debbie shyly._

_Debbie grinned, turning her head to the side and opening her eyes to gaze at the young girl. "Yeah," she admitted. "But, to be honest, I kind of suspected it even before then."_

"_You did?" Temperance seemed alarmed by that. Debbie was almost as observant as Pops and she knew that not everyone had that level of perceptiveness. Even so, she couldn't help but worry that someone else outside the Booth family might catch wind of her romantic entanglements with Booth. She didn't want to cause problems for Booth and Pops, nor did she want to be moved to a different foster home._

_Deb nodded. "Sure," she replied cheerfully. "You're both always so…In sync with one another. It's sweet, really."_

_Temperance merely hummed a non-verbal reply, chewing on her lower lip as she thought to herself._

"_You know, you never answered my question," Debbie reminded Temperance, looking for all the world as eager as a teenaged girl hoping to share gossip on boys with a friend. "How are things between you two?"_

_Temperance shifted uncomfortably on her chaise, feeling her face getting hotter and hotter until even her ears burned. "Um…It's-it's good," she stumbled on her words, drawing random patterns on the cover of her book with the pad of her pointer finger._

_Either Deb didn't catch on to her awkwardness, which was highly unlikely, or she was choosing to ignore it. "Is he being good to you?" she prompted, with just a tinge of fierceness in her voice._

_She'd known Seeley Booth since he was a little boy and he was the sweetest damn thing in the world - it had even surprised her the first time they'd met since she knew all about Lydia's brother. Still, she had never seen him interact with his girlfriend before this._

_Temperance was such a sweet girl and Debbie didn't want to see her get hurt._

_Admittedly, though, she rebelled against the idea that Booth was anything like David. And with everything she'd observed, Booth was so sweet to Temperance it almost always gave her the urge to say 'aww' when she witnessed them together._

_Temperance nodded her head. "Yes, he's very good to me," she answered without hesitation. She hadn't picked up on Debbie's tone nor did she have any idea why Deb had asked such a question, but the soft smile that grew steadily on her face assured Deb that these two kids weren't in an unhealthy relationship, and put her worries at ease._

"_Good," Debbie nodded. "That's good." They lapsed back into silence for barely a moment when Deb blurted out, "So is he a good kisser?"_

_Temperance's cheeks flamed instantly. "Deb!" she cried out, horrified and mortified at the same time._

_Debbie burst into uncontrollable laughter at the look on Temperance's face. She had mostly asked the question as a joke but the girl's reaction had been far too funny. "Relax," she managed to choke out. "I was just kidding."_

_Temperance smiled tersely and forced her tense muscles to relax just the slightest. While she liked Deb, intimacy with Booth wasn't something she'd ever feel comfortable talking to her about. It felt far too strange, considering Deb was pretty much a second aunt to Booth._

_She slowly began to relax further as Deb shifted the conversation from Booth to school, asking her all sorts of questions about what she expected out of her senior year. Deb listened intently, smiling at the exuberance Temperance had for her education. She'd known from the very beginning that Lydia had been wrong about her assumptions regarding Temperance and the more the two of them talked, the more she was sure of it._

_Finally, they took a break from conversation after Temperance had explained to Debbie her aspirations of becoming a forensic anthropologist. Deb slathered on more sun block as Temperance snuck occasional, sideways glances at her._

_There was something that had been on her mind a lot lately, something that she was incredibly confused about. Truthfully, she felt a little lost. She hadn't planned on asking Debbie anything at all but thinking on it, she didn't have anyone else to turn to._

_The last thing she wanted was to ask Cam about it - she wasn't entirely sure the older girl would answer her truthfully, anyway. Even Temperance wasn't oblivious to the jealousy Cam had regarding her close relationship with Booth. Besides, Cam merely thought Booth and Temperance were best friends living under one roof. Asking her such a question would only rouse suspicion._

_She'd briefly entertained the idea of asking Amy. Surely, either Amy or her older college sister might know something, but she'd rid herself of the suggestion almost immediately - as friendly as she thought Amy was, they weren't particularly close. Temperance didn't feel comfortable enough telling Amy about her personal relationship with Booth nor did she feel comfortable confiding such a vulnerable thing to her._

_That had pretty much eliminated all the female figures in Temperance's life - that was, unless she counted Lydia and Deb. Lydia was definitely out of the picture; Temperance could just imagine her having a coronary if they were ever to have a talk like the one she was considering having with Debbie._

_Deciding that she should just go for it - after all, she desperately needed some answers and she was fresh out of places to look for them - Temperance took a deep breath, turned to look at Deb and blurted it out._

"_Deb?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_How do you know what love is?"_

_Deb froze, one arm outstretched, her hand cupped over her skin where she'd been rubbing sun block on it. Her heart thudded in her chest. _Wow_, she thought to herself as she tried to compose herself. _Love? Were they really that serious already?

"_Love?" she questioned, careful to keep her tone as nonchalant as possible._

_Temperance bit her lip nervously. "Yes," she murmured. An awkward pause befell them for a moment before her lips parted and the words came rushing out, uncensored. "It's just that there have been some…developments in my relationship with Booth lately and he's been saying it to me and I think I feel the same way and I've come close to saying it to him once or twice before but I don't want to say it unless I know for a fact that I feel it because taking it back once I've said it would only hurt him and that's the last thing I ever want to do. But I'm so confused and I don't know if what I'm feeling is love or if it's just deep affection and I don't have anyone else to ask…"_

_Debbie, whose eyes had grown wide and round in shock as she listened to Temperance's rant, felt her breath catch and her chest constrict painfully. She had taken to Temperance even before she'd even met the girl, ever since she'd heard Temperance's back story. Losing her entire family like that and having to go through such a rough couple of years after that…Deb's heart had broken for her._

_And now, looking at this wide-eyed, panicked young girl, Deb felt her heart break a little more. She was nearly fifteen years old, in her first relationship with a boy that had saved her as much as she had saved him. It was a beautiful thing but Deb, having gone through the same thing years and years ago, knew that first love could be scary even without all that extra baggage._

_At least, when Deb had gone through her first love, she'd had two older sisters and a loving mother to guide her through it all. Temperance, on the other hand, had no one._

_That thought hadn't occurred to Deb until just now._

_Swinging her legs over the side of the chaise, Deb faced Temperance and reached out for her hand. Temperance was pulled into a sitting position, facing Deb as well. Taking both of Temperance's hands in her own, Deb made a small shushing sound._

"_Sweetie, sweetie," she hushed. "Take a breath for a moment…That's it," she nodded approvingly. Temperance had seemed to be on the edge of hyperventilation just moment previously._

_Smiling reassuringly at Temperance, Deb took a deep breath and prepared herself to give the young girl a talk she would - sadly - never get the chance to have with her mother. "Listen, Temperance…I've only known you for a few weeks but I'd like to think I'm a pretty good judge of character," she began. Temperance merely stared at her, listening intently to her words, her cheeks blushing bright red in embarrassment at her outburst earlier._

"_I know that you're good for Seeley," Deb confided in Temperance. "And I know you'd never hurt him. I can't say I'm not shocked that the two of you are talking about love, but then I think about everything I know about you two, everything I've witnessed, and I'm shocked that I didn't see it sooner."_

_It was true, too. Lydia might be in denial about how serious the two youngsters were about each other, and she might even have convinced herself somehow that Booth and Temperance would break up soon and everything would 'smooth out', but Debbie wasn't as hard headed or as oblivious._

_She could see the adoration, the tenderness, that existed between Booth and Temperance - something that was so clearly defined, so beautiful, that it had taken Deb herself years to find. It had stunned her to see two people so young able to have such a mature kind of love._

"_First love is a great thing, Temperance," Debbie continued. "I know it can be scary. I know that. I've been there. But I don't want you to be hindered by that fear."_

"_But how do I know?" Temperance interjected quietly, her expression as troubled as her stormy blue eyes. "How do I know I'm in love with him?"_

_Deb sat back slightly, seriously considering the question. She knew that Temperance was all about logic and science - how many times, exactly, had she heard Temperance correct one of the Booth boys on their gut feelings and counteracting everything they were saying with logic? How many times had she heard Booth and Temperance get into an argument about religion just these past couple of weeks?_

_But love wasn't a science. It wasn't something anyone could experiment with in a lab or measure in a beaker._

"_I wish I could tell you how to define love with logic," Debbie admitted. "But I can't. It doesn't work that way, sweetie."_

_Temperance frowned. "You know, according to science, love is merely a more romantic expression one could use for the release of certain emotions in the body. It doesn't actually exist," she informed Debbie matter-of-factly._

_Debbie chuckled. "Honey, I've been in love with Lydia for years," she rolled her eyes. "Trust me - it exists."_

_Temperance looked like she was about to protest again so Deb quickly interrupted her. "Some things are there, Temperance, you just can't see it," she chided gently. At the decidedly unimpressed look on Temperance's face, Debbie tried again, "Like the wind. It's invisible. It has no color, no shape, but you feel it, don't you? Love is like that, just…Rarer, sometimes. Not everybody feels love, especially the strong kind. The unbreakable kind. But it's there. You just have to be open to it."_

_Temperance frowned at Debbie. "You can't compare love with the wind," she argued, shaking her head. "There's a science to the wind."_

_Debbie shrugged. "And there's a science to love, too, I suppose," she stated. "All of that release of emotions thing you were talking about earlier…" Sighing, Debbie squeezed Temperance's hands in a comforting gesture. "The thing you have to remember here is that love isn't something you consider with your mind. Don't use logic. Love actually doesn't make much sense most times. Use your heart."_

_Ducking her head slightly to catch Temperance's eyes, Debbie softened her voice as she spoke next. "Think back to when you were a child, Tempe. Remember the love you had for your parents? Your brother? That's indefinable if you try to use science but it was real."_

_Temperance nodded her head slowly as she considered Debbie's words. "I suppose," she muttered._

"_Being in love…" Debbie sighed, realizing that she hadn't actually answered Temperance's question. "It's the most wonderful thing in the world. It's when you wake up feeling like, despite everything bad in it, your life seems so perfect to you. It's not wanting to trade it in even though you have to go through all the horrible obstacles. It's an emotional roller coaster, and it makes you kind of dizzy but when you see him, everything else disappears and you're just…You're happy. It's when you can't wait to see that person, when he's the one you want to share all your good news with and he's the one you look to for comfort when something bad happens. Being in love is when you find that you can picture forever with them and it's the most beautiful portrait you've ever seen in your life."_

_Debbie leveled Temperance with a knowing look and a patient, almost maternal smile. "If that's how you're feeling, Temperance, then you're in love," she informed the stricken girl. Squeezing her hands one last time, Debbie leaned in and pressed her lips to Temperance's cheek lightly. "I'm going to head inside and watch some TV. You're welcome to join me…If you'd like."_

_Temperance didn't answer as Debbie stood, walking away from the loungers. In fact, for a long time after Debbie had disappeared back into the main house, all Temperance could do was sit frozen in her chair, staring at the empty space in front of her, a stunned expression in her eyes as realization slowly dawned on her_.

"How 'bout that

Waking up every morning with me

Spend our time drinking coffee

Speaking softly as the days go by.

I don't want to go

I don't want to stay one night

Or one day

I'll stay the rest of my life

I don't want to leave

I don't want to be one night

Or one day

I'll stay the rest of my life

The rest of my life"

There was a cool breeze that blew through the night as Temperance and Booth walked hand in hand out of the café. They strolled at a leisurely pace down the sidewalk towards where he had parked the car he'd borrowed from Debbie earlier.

A comfortable silence had settled between them, both of them incredibly relaxed but wanting to prolong the night as much as they could before heading back to the beach house.

"Booth?" Temperance called out softly, sneaking a quick look at her boyfriend.

He was smiling slightly as they walked, a contented expression on his face. "Hmm?" he hummed his response.

"I love you."

He froze completely, his movements halting to a stop. Since her hand was clasped in his, Temperance stopped along with him. She turned her body towards him, gazing at him with anxious eyes and worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

She didn't know what to expect of him. Truthfully, she hadn't allowed herself to think much about what he would say or his reaction to her confession. She had focused all her energy into mustering up enough courage to tell him the truth that she had uncovered so recently.

Slowly, as though frightened if he move at a normal speed, everything would disappear, Booth turned his head to look at Temperance. His face was as frozen as his body and his expression was blank, so she couldn't tell what he was feeling from his expression alone. His dark eyes were wide and shocked.

"W-what?" he stuttered, his voice barely above a whisper. She almost had to strain to hear it.

It sounded like he was horrified to her, but it could have been simply her paranoia talking. Regardless, her nerves caused her to suffer the same word vomit she had when she'd confessed to Deb.

"You see, I've been thinking about our relationship for a while now," she informed him, speaking in such a frantic rush that her words practically stumbled over one another. "About how you love me and I've been feeling a lot of things and I wanted to really know if I loved you before I told you. I know what I felt for you rivaled everything I'd ever felt for the only people I loved before - my parents - but it's different, you know? That love is familial love and this love is different and it's just…Stronger…I don't really know how to explain. All consuming, maybe. I just needed to be sure but I didn't know who to ask or where to look for answers but then I had a semi-confusing talk with Debbie and after I thought about what she said it all seemed to make sense to me and it was quite an eye-opener, really, because all I could think about was yes, I could see forever with you and I want forever with you, even if it's not like homo sapiens to be monogamous for the rest of their lives… I want to have forever with you, I want to never forget to be with you, and I know I'm confusing you right now but the important thing is that my talk with her had only made me come to the very real conclusion that -"

Booth, already knowing what she was going to say next, moved quickly. He stepped closer to her, wrapping one of his arms around her body, drawing her close to him. His other hand plunged into her silky soft auburn hair. He tilted her head back slightly, tipping her face up to him, and leaned down to capture her lips in a passionate kiss.

Temperance gasped into his mouth as she felt his emotions pouring through his parted lips and into her own. He was thankful - so unbelievably thankful - that this gorgeous girl he was in love with returned that love, and he was joyful like he'd never been before and the adrenaline pumping through his veins at her admission was stronger than the rush he felt at any of his games.

She melted into his kiss, her body sagging into his, trembling as he continued to kiss her. Her nerve endings felt as though they were frayed, electric sparks shooting through and little aftershocks making them tingle. Her fingers gripped onto the lapels of his jacket tightly, her knuckles turning pure white as she kissed him back in fervor.

Her lungs were burning when he finally pulled away, but her lips chased after his, stealing a softer, shorter kiss. He was grinning madly as he allowed her that, and a warm, happy chuckle broke through his lips as he bestowed yet another kiss to her, and another and another. Soft, short pecks and light brushes of their mouths, with their eyes both wide open and gazing at one another.

Temperance released her death grip on his jacket lapels and dragged her hands up until her arms were locked around his neck. He lowered his head, pressing his forehead gently against her own. They were smiling happily, both their eyes bright and sparkling.

"I love you," she murmured to him, finishing the sentence he had cut off earlier.

Though she was unsure how, his impossibly wide grin grew even wider. "I love you, too, baby," he whispered to her, his hand running through her hair repeatedly. "So much. _So much_."

As his eyes darkened to a sparkling onyx and his voice roughened with emotion, Temperance's eyes watered. She leaned even closer to him so that not only their foreheads, but their noses touched as well. Her eyes fluttered close as she reveled in his embrace, and she took a deep breath, loving that it was his scent that filled her senses.

As she allowed herself to let go of the fear, just like Debbie had advised her to do, Temperance felt her lips break out into a large, happy smile. An amazing warmth filled her heart, spreading all the way down to her toes. Deciding to embrace the moment, and maybe even indulge herself in the girlish reaction she seemed to be experiencing on the inside, Temperance let out a contented sigh, snuggling into Booth's body.

_I'm in love_, she thought giddily.

"Let's just let it start

I don't want to go,

I don't want to stay one night,

Or one I'll stay the rest of my life

I don't want to leave,

I don't want to be one night,

Or one day

I'll stay the rest of my life

The rest of my life…"

* * *

><p>In case any of you didn't recognize the two amazing songs used in this chapter, they're called 'Careful' and 'Rest of My Life', both by Michelle Featherstone. I love her and both of these songs are two of my favorites from her. I know these songs weren't released yet in 1991, but I thought they were so perfect here.<p>

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Thanks so much for reading and for the wonderful reviews.

Juliet.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** Hart Hanson owns Bones.

* * *

><p><em>September 4, 1991<em>.

Temperance sighed as she sank down on her bed. She couldn't help but smile as she looked around the familiar purple themed bedroom. As much as she had loved having a vacation for the first time in years, and had enjoyed her time in California with Booth and his family, she had to admit that she'd missed her bedroom in Pops' house these past couple of weeks.

They had left the beach house early in the morning, Lydia and Debbie driving them to the airport to say goodbye. It had been like the first day they'd arrived there all over again for Temperance – an outsider looking in at a family affair. Lydia had barely looked her way, let alone spoken to her. Debbie, however, in her emotional theatrics, had been sobbing as she hugged Temperance along with the Booth brothers and Pops.

Hours later, they were back home, things unpacked.

Well, _her_ things were unpacked, anyway. She knew Booth had a tendency to procrastinate when it came to things he loathed to do, often waiting until the last possible moment. Putting things away and laundry were definitely not things he enjoyed doing – at all.

A knock on her door made her look up. She smiled when she saw Booth standing at her door, his hair wet and plastered to his forehead, decked in a pair of basketball shorts and a matching red and black jersey, basketball tucked underneath his arm.

"Hey, beautiful," he greeted her with a wide smile, stepping into her room and sinking down onto the bed next to her. His eyes found her empty suitcase on the floor, still propped open and not properly put away underneath her bed. "You've put away everything already?" he sounded incredulous. He'd been so tired after the flight that all he'd done since they'd reached home was take a short nap, call up his friends to ask if they wanted to meet at the lakeside court and showered to get ready.

Temperance scoffed. "Of course I have," she replied, her tone a tad haughty. "It really isn't good to pick up the habit of procrastinating things, you know?" Her eyes regarded him knowingly. "You haven't touched a thing in your suitcase, I assume?"

Booth made a protesting noise at the back of his throat. "'course I did," he said, in a tone that suggested she was being ridiculous for thinking otherwise. "These shorts were stuffed in there somewhere."

Temperance wrinkled her nose in disgust. "God, that's disgusting, Booth," she complained.

Instead of defending himself, Booth merely grinned cheekily at Temperance, unashamed. He leaned in closer to her and pressed a kiss to her cheek, loving the soft, sweet-smelling skin. "I'm going to go to the court," he informed her.

She nodded. "I figured," she answered, gesturing towards his outfit.

"Do you want to come with me?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "I think I'm just going to stay home…Maybe do a little light reading," she shrugged.

He rolled his eyes. He couldn't remember a time during their vacation when she had been without a book – well, during the day, anyway. The hormonal, teenaged boy part of his mind leered slightly as he remembered the way their nights together were spent in California. During the day, however, no matter where they went or what they did, she'd always brought a book with her to read.

"Are you sure?" he asked, trying to tempt her. "I know the guys missed you."

His basketball friends were quite fond of her, if he'd say so himself. She had become such a permanent fixture whenever he went to play with them that they had not only gotten used to her presence, but they'd come to expect it; adored it, even.

The only thing he hated whenever she came around was how the guys teased him mercilessly about her – just because they didn't know Booth and Temperance were seeing each other now didn't mean that they were blind to the attraction between the pair – and how his buddy Jimmy would constantly hit on Temperance.

She laughed. "I'm sure," she remembered his friends' playful banter whenever she was around. She liked them for making her feel welcomed in their tight knit group, even when she so very obviously didn't fit in. "But I'm just going to stay home…I'm sure they missed you more."

"You sure?" he couldn't help asking again, giving her an appraising look as though he was afraid that she was pulling one of those female tricks where she said one thing but meant another. "You don't mind?"

_Sometimes they say they don't care but the moment you take their word at face value, you're in the dog house_…He was wary of that happening with Temperance. She had a temper like he'd never seen before. Three days out of a month were horrendous enough for him. Worse than torture, he'd imagine.

She shook her head. "I'm sure," she assured him. "Go on."

They both stood up at the same time, Temperance winding her arms around his neck to squeeze him a hug. He, in turn, buried his nose in her hair, smiling into the silky strands as he hugged her back. Pulling back, he gave her a saddened pout she knew he didn't mean by the happy, mischievous glint in his eyes. "Aren't you going to give me a kiss goodbye?"

She rolled her eyes as though she was annoyed by him though a faint blush painted her cheeks and an indulgent smile spread across her lips despite her best efforts to bestow upon him an aggravated frown. She reached up, fingers caressing his scalp through his short hair, her smile growing soft as she stepped closer to him, pressing her front to his.

He returned her smile as he brushed the tip of his nose against hers, loving her husky chuckle as he gave her Eskimo kisses. He dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers, tangling his fingers in her hair. Her lips were parted slightly and she was still chuckling into his mouth, which was a sort of funny feeling since it made his lips tingle. Their kiss was sloppy and playful and it still made his heart pound fast and hard.

Her fingers fisted the soft material of his jersey and yanked his upper torso even closer to her, giggling a little until he deepened the kiss.

Their short, playful goodbye turned into something much more, making the both of them forget just where they were and who could potentially walk in on them.

That was, until Jared's voice called out, "Seeley! Seeley, where are you!"

They sprung apart just in time as the younger Booth boy bounded through Temperance's open door. Booth hastily wiped at his mouth to remove evidence of her strawberry flavored lip gloss.

Jared, who had stopped short at the door the moment he'd noticed Booth's and Temperance's flushed cheeks and shifty eyes, narrowed his eyes suspiciously at them. Crossing his arms over his chest, he glared at Booth and asked, "What were you guys doing?"

He had figured out two things during their family vacation in California: one, his older brother had snatched up the hot older girl living with them, and two, every single person in his family except him knew about it and, for some reason, had neglected to tell him.

It had angered him, mostly because he felt like he was being treated like some untrustworthy little kid they were all afraid would blab about some huge secret to anyone and everyone who would listen. And, also, because Temperance was really pretty and he thought it was really unfair that his ladies' man of a brother had gotten to her.

Although, he had to grudgingly admit. Ever since Temperance had come into their lives, Jared had never seen Booth with any other girl other than her_. There was that cheerleader he was dating but she was gone almost as soon as Temperance had showed up_.

Booth shrugged. "Nothing," he lied. "Just asking Bones if she wants to come with me to the court."

Jared almost scoffed out loud and asked Booth if he thought he had an idiot for a brother. He knew exactly what it looked like after two people had made out with one another. He had never done it but his friend Jeremy – who had turned thirteen recently – had made out with Camilla Danes once, for a whole fifteen minutes. She was an entire grade above them, too. Jared had been there when they had joined the rest of the group after their time alone together – they looked almost exactly like Booth and Temperance did, minus the slightly panicked expressions on their faces.

Instead, he merely nodded his head, the suspicious look still on his face. "Uh-huh, sure," he answered dryly. "Pops said that you have to put away everything before you go anywhere."

Booth's face fell. "What!" he sounded dismayed. "Aw, come on…! That's hardly fair! The holidays aren't even gonna be over for a whole week! I'll go talk to him, make him see sense…No point rushing it today…"

He was muttering nonsense underneath his breath as he snatched up his basketball from Temperance's bed and stalked out of her room. Temperance rolled her eyes as she watched him go. _I'll bet he hasn't done a single thing to prepare himself for school starting next week_, she thought to herself.

Jared watched Temperance, whose eyes were fixed on Booth's retreating back, a soft indulgent smile he didn't think she was aware of curled on her lips. He had to admit, he was slightly envious of Booth. _Why does he get all the girls?_ Jared couldn't help but sulk silently.

Giving Temperance a smile of his own – _remember the Booth charm, bud_, he thought to himself, remembering what Pops had told him the first time he had ever taken notice of a cute girl and wanted desperately to impress her – he cleared his throat to get her attention. "Wanna watch a movie, Tempe?" he asked her, hoping that he hadn't sounded overeager. "We didn't get to our last night in Cali."

Temperance gave him a smile, much less impressive than the one she had given to Booth. "I'd love to, Jared," she began, about to inform him that she'd had prior plans to rest and have a good read. However, one look into those familiar sparkling brown eyes and the happy smile he wore and she began to relent. She _had_ promised him she was going to watch a movie with him someday soon, after all.

She followed him out of her bedroom and they made their way down the stairs. They were halfway through '_Home Alone_' when the house phone rang.

Temperance was the closest to the phone, which was sitting on the side table right next to her. "I'll get it," she called out so that Pops wouldn't have to stop whatever he was doing to get it. She reached for the phone and pressed the receiver to her ear. "Hello, Booth residence," she greeted the caller pleasantly.

"Temperance?" she heard a familiar voice on the other end.

Her eyes lit up and a smile graced her lips. "Amy?"

"Hi!" Amy's enthusiastic response made her laugh. "I know you said you were coming back today and I just wanted to call and say hey."

Temperance felt a little pleased by this. She didn't have many friends, let alone good ones. In fact, other than Booth, she wasn't actually close to anyone unless she counted Booth's basketball buddies. It felt nice to have a connection to someone who liked her well enough to call her a friend, and not because they were an acquaintance of Booth and had gotten to know her by default.

"Well, thank you," she told Amy. "That was very thoughtful of you. We just reached here a few hours ago, actually."

"I didn't mean to disturb you," Amy sounded concerned that she had done just that.

"Not at all," Temperance was quick to assure her. "I'm glad you called…How was your summer?"

Amy sighed a little. "Not that exciting," she admitted ruefully. "We had plans to go on vacation but mom got really sick and it took her over a week to get better. We drove down to my aunt's house to make up for it but she lives just outside of Chicago so it didn't really make a difference...What about you? How was California?"

Temperance pursed her lips. "Quite interesting," she answered slowly, choosing her words carefully as she reflected on the summer she'd had. "I was appreciative of the heat as opposed to how cold it usually is in Chicago…The beach was quite enjoyable, as well."

Amy had to laugh – she had almost forgotten how very _formal_ Temperance could be at all times, even when they were talking about something completely casual. "Well, good," she said, happy for her friend. "Did you have fun with Booth?"

A shot of panic went through Temperance's body. She hadn't told Amy about her relationship with Booth, no matter how much she liked Amy as a friend. She'd gone so far as to avoid talking about anything involving Booth as much as she could. However, much to her dismay, Amy never failed to make little suggestive comments about Booth and Temperance together every time they saw each other. She wasn't overbearing or pestered her for any information, she just loved to tease Temperance until she was a blushing, spluttering mess.

"Booth?" she choked out.

Amy giggled. "Yeah," she said laughingly. "Did you have fun with Booth, too?"

Temperance chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds before attempting to answer that, "He took me to the beach to meet a few of his friends from California…"

Amy rolled her eyes. _Not what I was hoping for_, she sighed to herself. _Oh, well_. "Oh…That sounds like fun," she murmured. Temperance couldn't be happier when Amy changed the subject, "Hey, do you want to hang out before school reopens?"

Temperance brightened. "Sure, that seems like fun," she agreed.

They made plans for Temperance to go over to Amy's house after lunch since her little cousins were going to be around until then and neither girl wanted to attempt to spend time together in a house riddled with crying, screaming, tantrum-throwing children.

* * *

><p>After lunch, where Temperance spent fifteen minutes trying to persuade Pops, Booth and Jared not to have another calorie-loaded meal, Booth drove Temperance to Amy's house. They left Pops' house forty minutes earlier than they needed to so they could make a pit stop on the way to Amy's to have a little time to themselves – it had barely been a day since they had left California and already they were missing the freedom they had while they were there to be together whenever they pleased, with plentiful places where they could escape to.<p>

"When should I pick you up?" Booth asked, one hand on the steering wheel while the fingers of his free hand twined around hers. As he drove, he would lift their twined fingers up to his lips, pressing kisses onto the back of her hand.

Temperance shrugged. "I'm not sure," she mused aloud. "Amy didn't say how long I would be allowed to stay."

He cracked a grin at that.

"You don't have to pick me up, though, Booth," she assured him, turning her head around to look at him.

"Oh, yeah? Amy's sister gonna drive you again?"

She shook her head. "No, I believe Amy mentioned that Lynn was already back at her college campus," she replied nonchalantly. "I meant I'd just take the bus."

He gave her a dubious look she wasn't very fond of. "It isn't like I've never taken public transportation before, Booth," she pointed out, annoyed.

He frowned, "What if you end up going home late?"

They continued a steady stream of banter the rest of the journey, with Booth asking if she knew how many psychos were out on the streets late at night and with her pointing out that the bus wouldn't even be available that far into the night, even if she was planning on staying out that long.

When he pulled up in front of Amy's house, Booth ducked his head slightly to peer up at the house from the windshield. "Do you think anyone's watching?" he asked her, his voice automatically slipping into a quiet whisper even though he knew no one outside his car would be able to hear him had he had spoken at a normal volume.

Temperance frowned as she ducked her head as well for a fraction of a second. "No, I highly doubt it," she answered. "Why?"

He looked back at her, offering her one of his charming boyish grins. "Because," he said, unbuckling his seat belt and leaning in as close as he could towards her with the gear shift digging painfully into his skin. "I wanted to make sure it was safe to do this," his hands cupped her cheeks gently and his mouth descended on hers, mindful that he had to keep the kiss short – just because they thought no one was watching didn't mean it was a definite thing.

She was blushing as she climbed out of the car, waving goodbye before turning to walk up the steps to Amy's front door. She was glad that when she rang the doorbell, Amy took a few long moments to get it – that meant that Amy probably hadn't been watching her through the window or something like that.

_Right?_ She questioned herself before shaking her head. _Stop being so paranoid, Temperance_.

Amy greeted her with a wide smile and a friendly hug Temperance wasn't really sure what to do with. She ended up patting Amy's back lightly, awkwardly. "Hello, Amy," she said pleasantly, smiling a little uncomfortably. "It's good to see you, as well."

Amy grinned, not noticing her previous discomfort, and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the house. "My cousins have all left," she informed Temperance. "So it's way quieter now. Wanna go up to my room and listen to some music?"

Temperance shrugged. "Sure," she agreed.

They passed the living room, where a woman in her early forties was sitting on the couch, knitting something that might've been a sweater and watching TV at the same time. "Mom," Amy called the woman's attention. "This is my friend Temperance."

The woman smiled as she met Temperance. "Hi, Temperance," she said pleasantly, standing up and putting her knitted sweater aside. "It's nice to meet you – I've heard nice things from Amy and Lynn."

Temperance blushed slightly. "Really?" she asked, completely taken aback. She hadn't thought that she had made any sort of lasting impression on Amy, let alone Lynn whom she had met only once before.

"Mom, we're going upstairs, okay?" Amy said, tugging on Temperance's arm to get her attention. Temperance waved at Amy's mother and followed Amy up the stairs. Amy's room was twice as big as hers and was painted in mostly pinks and yellows, and Temperance secretly thought that she loved her own bedroom more. "Make yourself comfy," Amy invited, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at the radio on her nightstand. "I'm just gonna turn on the radio."

Temperance nodded, settling herself down on the floor at the foot of Amy's bed. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed the magazines piled messily on the floor next to her. Picking one up, she read the title: 'Cosmopolitan'.

_Hmm_, she mused silently. _I've never read Cosmo before, though I've seen girls at school read it…I wonder what's so interesting about it_.

Her eyes traced over the cover, reading things like 'What Season Are You – Take the Test Now!', 'The Foreplay Quiz' and 'The Good Girlfriend Guide'.

Amy, who had turned on the radio to the music of Trisha Yearwood, went to sit next to Temperance. Seeing the magazine in her hands, Amy smiled sheepishly. "Those are Lynn's magazines," she nodded at the pile. "After Lynn left for campus, I sorta stole 'em from her room…"

"I didn't know you were interested in reading these sort of things," Temperance wondered out loud.

Amy shrugged. "I'm not," she defended herself. "Not really…I mean, it's kinda fun sometimes, just to see what's in there. But I don't take it seriously or anything."

The two of them shared a long glance with one another before slow smiles began to spread across their faces. Amy lunged over Temperance and grabbed another one of the magazines before settling in right next to her so they could read whatever the other was holding.

An article on the supermodel Elaine Irwin and two Pat Benatar songs later, Amy tossed her magazine aside and stood up to stretch her muscles. "Hey, I'm gonna go get a pop," she told Temperance. "Do you want anything?"

"Just water, please."

Temperance placed her own magazine on top of Amy's – they were done with both of those magazines – and extended her legs in front of her, stretching them. As a Selena song came on the radio, Temperance reached for another magazine from the pile, not even looking at what she had taken until it was right in front of her.

The first thing she noticed on the cover of the magazine were the words printed in bright red letters, "Sex- When You Know You're Ready".

Temperance's head immediately reared back and she stared open-mouthed at the cover for the longest time. A loud noise that was so obviously from the TV downstairs jolted her out of her shock. She deliberated for one quick second before scrambling to her knees towards her bag. She rolled up the magazine and stuffed it into her backpack.

She sat back down in her previous position on the floor, heart racing and eyes wide, just as Amy stepped back into the room, an unopened can of soda and a bottle of water in one hand and a plate of sandwiches on the other. "My mom sent this up," Amy said as she sat cross-legged next to Temperance, placing the plate on the floor. "In case we get hungry."

Heart still racing, Temperance could only smile nervously and nod. "Oh, thank you," she mumbled.

Amy didn't notice her anxiety as she popped open her can of soda and took a swig of her drink. "Hey, you know, I think I saw an article about manicures in one of the magazines in there…" she said, reaching for the pile they hadn't read yet.

"Manicures?" Temperance looked at her confusedly. "Why would you be interested in an article about manicures?"

Amy shrugged. "Well, I was just thinking…Maybe we could have like a mini-makeover thingy before school starts up again, you know?" she suggested. "Just little things…Like our nails and I've been thinking of changing my hairstyle though that might not be so little."

Temperance frowned. "Do you think I should change my hair?"

Amy glanced at her. "No," she shook her head. "Your hair's all pretty. Mine is getting boring for me, though. You think I should go blonde?"

Temperance grimaced but tried to smile. "Um…Whatever you want, Amy. It's your hair…"

Amy chortled. "I was just kidding, Tempe," she assured. "You should've seen your face."

Temperance offered her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. It's just that I can't remember a single blonde girl in my life that I've ever been friendly with…It might've nothing to do with hair colour at all but it just tends to make me wary," she explained.

Amy laughed once more. "That's hilarious," she commented. Sighing, she frowned, "You know…I can't find that magazine…I remember it was in Cosmo. Do you see it?"

Temperance's eyes had gone round and wide in shock, her calmed heart rate picking up again until it was galloping. "Um…Cosmo?" she pretended to look around her for the magazine. "No, no, I don't see it."

Amy huffed, sitting back on her heels. "Damn," she cursed quietly. "I thought I had it in here…Maybe I should go look in Lynn's room."

As soon as she could without seeming suspicious, Temperance dissuaded Amy from looking for the magazine she wanted. She tamped down the guilt by reminding herself that it was only a magazine she was taking and it wasn't as though she was _stealing_ – she would return the magazine as soon as she was done reading the article, in the most discreet manner possible.

She and Amy spent the rest of their time in Amy's house talking – it was called 'girl talk' and not at all something Temperance was adept at; thankfully, all she needed to do was sit still and nod sporadically while Amy told her all about her newest crush – and Amy's mother even invited her over for dinner, which she accepted only after calling Pops and confirming that it was alright with him if she stayed a little while longer.

While she waited for Booth to pick her up, she and Amy sat together on the steps of her front porch. "Are you ready for school?" Temperance asked her.

Amy nodded, smiling when she saw the excited sparkle in Temperance's eyes. "You know, you're the only person I know who gets excited about school," she observed.

Temperance laughed at that. "Booth tells me the same thing," she confided. "Only, he normally says it in this sarcastic tone…" she smiled fondly at the memory of him 'lecturing' her on how teenagers were supposed to behave, including their general hatred for high school.

Amy watched her, adoring smile and pink blushing cheeks and all, and shook her head. "Tempe…I know I always tease you about Booth," she started slowly, choosing her words carefully. Already the smile on Temperance's face had faded, replaced by a wary, guarded look. "But is there something going on between you two?"

Temperance ducked her head so that Amy couldn't look into her eyes – she had never been a very good liar. When she was a little girl and had tried lying to her father about breaking one of her mother's glass vases, he had told her that her eyes always gave her away. "No, not at all," she lied as smoothly as she could manage.

Amy wasn't sure if she should believe that or not so she pushed ahead gently, "Because I'm your friend, Temperance. You can tell me anything."

Temperance wasn't sure if that was true, at least on her own end. She liked Amy and was grateful for the help Amy had given her before – when she had clarified Booth's and Temperance's roles in the fight that had occurred in school, and when she had easily accepted Temperance as a friend after that – but she wasn't sure that she could trust Amy with intimate details of her life, not yet anyway.

Even so, she merely nodded. "I appreciate that," she said politely.

Amy nodded. "And if there _isn't_ anything going on between the two of you…" she added delicately.

"Which is true," Temperance added quickly. "There isn't."

"If that's the case, then…" Amy trailed off, sighing. Temperance eyed her with narrowed eyes, confused. She wasn't sure what point Amy was trying to make. "Then I don't want you to get your hopes up. I mean, I know you and him are close…"

Temperance nodded again. "We are – he's my best friend," she clarified quickly.

Amy smiled. "It's just that…Look, no doubt he's a great guy…"

"He's the best guy," Temperance said, her voice taking on a defensive edge.

"But he's still a jock…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Even more so – he's still a boy. A _teenage_ boy."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Amy held up both her hands. "If you're feeling something and he's not feeling something or if he starts to date some other girl…It would be painful and messy, what with his grandfather being your guardian…I just worry for you."

Temperance gave her a small smile, a confusing mix of unpleasant heart-pounding bitterness at the thought of Booth being with another girl, and a nice warmth spreading through her chest at the thought of Amy caring for her enough to worry about her heart getting broken.

"Well, thank you," she said, sincere this time. "But everything's fine."

Amy gave her a knowing look, "He's a very charming boy."

A tiny spike of envy made itself known before Temperance shook herself out of it. Of course Amy would think Booth was charming. Any female who'd met him would say the same. He had a certain charisma about him that was undeniably attractive.

"I won't get hurt," Temperance assured Amy, not a single doubt in her that her words were true. "Booth would never let that happen."

Of course, being her, she had no idea that by stating her blind faith in Booth, she had only confirmed to Amy that she _did_ have feelings for Booth. Whether those feelings were unrequited or even recognized by Temperance herself, Amy didn't know.

When the familiar Impala pulled up in front of the house, both girls stood up, Temperance reaching for her library bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "It was really good to see you again, Tempe," Amy grinned. "See you soon?"

Temperance nodded, promised to call her the next day and waved goodbye as she half walked, half jogged to Booth's car.

"Did you have fun?" Booth asked as she slid into the passenger's seat. He wanted to pull her close and kiss her but Amy was still standing on the porch steps, watching them.

Temperance nodded. "Yes," she replied distractedly, her mind having gone back to the magazine she'd stashed in her bag and the article she desperately wanted to read. "We talked about nail polish and cute boys. It was some sort of bonding experience, I believe."

He chuckled, shaking his head as he started to drive again. "You missed out on dinner tonight – Pops, uh, sorta burned the spaghetti so we had grilled cheese," he informed her. "You know, he can't cook pretty much anything but grilled cheese. He's a master at it."

Temperance nodded her head slightly as she gazed out her passenger's side window. "Yes, he makes good grilled cheese," she said, still sounding like she was barely paying him any mind.

Booth shot her a few quick glances as he drove. When they stopped at a red light, he turned his head to look at her. "Is something wrong, baby?" he asked concernedly.

She jerked her head around, looking at him with wide eyes she desperately hoped didn't bely her guilt at lying. "No, not at all," she lied. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "You seem kinda distracted," he explained.

She sighed. "I have something on my mind," she admitted freely.

"Oh?" he said and when she didn't take the hint, he prompted further, "What is it?"

She shook her head, turning to gaze out the window again. "I…It's confusing," she murmured. "I don't even know if it's a something or a nothing yet."

"Uh-huh," he muttered. "You know that doesn't make any sense?"

She smiled, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek. "Don't worry about it, okay?" she gently caressed his cheek with the back of a finger, only settling back in her seat when the light turned green once more.

Booth was a little disappointed that they couldn't really find the time or place to have some alone time like they had on the way to Amy's house earlier in the day. Jared had already burrowed himself in his room when they got back home but Pops was wide awake in the living room, watching The Odd Couple.

"Hey, you two," Pops greeted them with a smile. "Had fun with Amy?"

Temperance nodded her head. "Yes, I did. Thank you for letting me go," she replied.

Pops waved his hand as though to dismiss her gratitude. "'course, honey," he said gruffly.

"I'm just going to head up to my room," Temperance said, looking from Pops to Booth as she said this. "I'm sort of tired."

Booth nodded, eyes still assessing her worriedly as though he knew there was something heavy weighing on her mind. "Okay," he murmured as Pops turned back to the TV. He shot a look up at the stairs, and spared a glance towards his seemingly occupied grandfather, before stepping closer to her to press a soft kiss to her cheek – he didn't dare kiss her right on the lips in front of Pops, even if the old man was fine with the two of them dating. It didn't feel right to him. "Goodnight, baby," he smiled.

The smile she offered him was completely genuine, her worries forgotten as she took in his simply, sweet gesture. "Goodnight," she returned, squeezing his hand once before turning to head up the stairs.

Giving in to her paranoia, she stashed her bag in her closet before she went into the bathroom to wash up for bed. Once she had showered and changed into her sleep clothes, she locked the door to her bedroom, afraid that someone would come in if she didn't, before taking out the magazine from her bag. She turned off her bedroom light to give off the illusion that she had gone to sleep before making her way to the desk in the corner of her room.

She placed the magazine on the desk and gently, quietly, pulled out the chair, making sure it didn't scrape on the floor and make any noise. She slid into the chair, turned on the table lamp and exhaled as she held the edges of the magazine with her fingers. The red letters stood out to her, even in the relatively dim light of the lamp.

She stared at the cover for what seemed like ages before taking a deep breath and flipping the pages. She looked at the index and ran her forefinger down until she found what she was looking for. "Sex – When You Know You're Ready; features; page 37."

She turned the pages quickly, heart pounding as she came to the article. Page 37 didn't actually have an article on it, just the same title of the article that had been on the cover and a picture that filled up the entire page, of a blonde teenage girl who was probably a few years older than her, and a handsome teenage boy. They were wrapped in each other's arms but though their embrace seemed intimate, their expressions seemed unsure.

Page 38 held the real article, and she begun to read the article that had been written by a supposed 'expert' with anxiety and what had to be skepticism.

There was at least three paragraphs worth of words describing love, what it felt like and how to know when you really loved someone, when you cared for them enough to want certain things when it came to physical relations.

Then there came the section on emotions and hormones and how to control them.

Then there was a larger section on being prepared – condoms and birth control pills and other forms of birth control that can be acquired from the doctor's.

There was also a large part involving talking with a parent or an appropriate adult figure so that they could give advice and even information that could be useful.

None of what Temperance read, she concluded as she closed the magazine with a deep scowl, had any real benefit to her. It didn't pertain to her and Booth at all. In fact, it was much too impersonal to be compared to _her_ unique situation with Booth.

Sighing, defeated, she stared at the cover blankly, more confused than she had been before she'd read the article at all. The heavy question on whether she and Booth should take the next step had been weighing on her mind for some time now, ever since their physical relationship had started to escalate. It was only common sense, to her. After all, what would they be escalating to if it wasn't the actual act itself?

When before, however, she had felt completely unprepared and unready for sex, lately, she had been thinking more and more of it. She wasn't fantasizing about it, not really, since she didn't have any experience in it, but she did wonder what it would be like.

She worried about it, mostly.

She worried if it would hurt – she had heard it would from some of the girls at school when they talked in the locker rooms or the bathrooms, and there was even a mention of the pain in the magazine article – and she worried if she would know what to do. Maybe it was something natural, since intercourse was a biological imperative after all, but maybe it was something that she'd have to learn. She worried she'd be terrible at it.

Then she would think about if she would be enough to bring pleasure to Booth.

On one hand, she was so skeptical of it, so self-deprecating. She wasn't experienced in the least; Booth had been her first everything – her first crush, her first kiss, her first boyfriend and, if it were to happen, her first lover. While she knew Booth had never had sex, either, she also knew that he had dated other girls before her and wasn't as inexperienced. She didn't particularly like to think about him doing anything remotely sexual with other girls, but it was a fact she had learnt to face.

On the other hand, she had seen for herself what pleasure she could bring him. They hadn't gone all the way of course, but they had done some things. During his nightly visits to her back in California, especially, they had both gotten pleasure out of their…Physical explorations. Hadn't they?

Temperance blinked a few times, her heart as heavy as ever with unanswered questions, and slowly stood up from her seat. She made her way quietly towards her closet, rolling up the magazine and placing it in her bag once more, feeling quite foolish for stealing it in the first place. It wasn't like it had helped her at all and now she was beginning to see just how childish her actions had been.

Turning off the table lamp, she climbed into bed and settled underneath the covers. _There's nothing left to do but sleep_, she tried to convince her weary mind. Resolved to push her questions aside until the morning when she could talk to Booth about it somewhere private, she closed her eyes and burrowed her head deeper into her pillow. _Perhaps we could take a trip to the lake_.

She laid perfectly still for ten whole minutes, waiting to fall asleep. Huffing, irritated, she tossed and turned, punching her pillow and the mattress beneath her in an attempt to get more comfortable.

_This isn't working_, she thought miserably some time later. Raising her head from her thoroughly punched and fluffed pillow, she snuck a look at her alarm clock. She groaned as she caught sight of the time. _It's only ten thirty? Oh, God, this is going to be a long night_…

She scowled at the clock, turned on her side facing away from it and snuggled deeper into the cool sheets, bringing the covers up to her chin.

Even though her eyes were closed and her body was curled up, Temperance found that her mind remained alert and wide awake. She kept her eyes shut tight in hopes that the darkness would lull her to sleep but her mind was far too awake, her thoughts buzzing around at top speed.

She wasn't sure if she had dozed off unknowingly and woken up still thinking about the next step she _might_ want to take with Booth, or if she had been awake the whole time, but the next time she looked at the clock, it was fifteen minutes past three in the morning.

Resigned, Temperance let out a low growl that sounded like it had come from a wounded animal, literally threw the covers away angrily and climbed out of bed. She almost tripped on the same covers she'd thrown on the floor before she steadied herself with a hand on her wardrobe chest.

Chewing on her lower lip, Temperance glanced at her door, contemplating.

_He's obviously fast asleep by now_, she argued against her desires, which were screaming for her to go to Booth. Even if she couldn't bring herself to start a conversation that made her incredibly nervous, at least his presence would comfort her enough to lull her to sleep. She knew it would be enough.

_I'll just go in for a minute_, she bargained with her disapproving subconscious. _It'll be fine. I won't even disturb him from his sleep_. Her feet were already making their way to her door.

Of course, the decision to leave him undisturbed was changed the moment she stepped into his room, quietly closing the door behind her and moving on tentative tip-toes until she reached the side of his bed.

She sunk down on knees on the floor next to his bed, her worries momentarily forgotten as she took in his slumbering form. As he usually did during the night, he had kicked the covers half off of himself. She could see the multi-coloured boxers he was wearing, peeking out from underneath his lower body that the covers weren't blanketing.

His upper body was completely bare though he was lying down on his stomach. His arms were spread eagle on either side of him and his head was turned towards her, snuggled deep into his pillow as he snored on, oblivious to her inability to fall asleep.

She reached out and brushed away a few limp locks of his dark brown hair from his forehead. He snorted in his sleep and shifted a little on the bed though he remained still in slumber. While her fingers had frozen, tangled in his soft hair, and her heart had started racing at the unexpected noise and movement, she couldn't help but chuckle a little.

She made a split second decision and acted upon it before she could change her mind, "Booth..." He didn't rouse from his slumber at her soft coo so she tried again. "Booth? Booth, wake up," she urged, trying to wake him with soft kisses pressed all over his face and gentle fingers stroking his bare shoulder blades. "Booth!"

Booth shifted once more, turning his body so that he was lying on his side now, facing her. His eyes remained shut though he mumbled sleepily, "Mmm…Bones…"

She grinned a little. "Yes, it's me," she answered his sleepy mutterings earnestly. "I need you to wake up and have a serious conversation with me."

She wasn't sure if he heard what she had said but he groaned nonetheless and turned again so that his entire body was facing away from her. "M'sleepin…Shh," he mumbled into his pillow.

Temperance sighed, frowning at him. "Booth," she complained. "I have a very important question to ask you."

"Mm-hmm," he moaned, half-asleep.

He was determined to get more sleep and as much as he loved Temperance, he was pretty sure she was insane if she thought the dead of the night was a good time to have a conversation, no matter how serious it might be. If no one was on the verge of death, he wanted to go back to sleep and talk about whatever it was when the sun was actually up in the sky.

Of course, he hadn't counted on Temperance blindsiding him by blurting out, "Are we going to have sex?"

His sleepiness was shaken off entirely, Booth jolted awake straight away. Completely shocked, his head shot up at her question and his body twisted around to face her. However, he'd moved too fast and too erratically and he ended up falling off the edge of the bed, landing with a loud thump on the floor.

"Booth!" Temperance hissed, glaring at the other side of the bed even if neither of them could see each other at the moment. "Shh! Someone might hear you!"

He rolled his eyes at her words. _Your concern for my well-being is so touching_, he thought sarcastically. Out loud, he groaned at the pain shooting up his side. "Oh, God," he groaned, rolling from side to side as he clutched at his hip. "That's gonna bruise…"

Temperance, whose attention had gone back to the thoughts that had been troubling her all night now that she was certain no one had heard him fall, continued on as though she hadn't heard him, "And if we are, when will that happen because I'm pretty sure we need to be prepared for it."

Booth, who was still bleary from being awakened from his sleep so rudely, was totally confused. His head popping up from the ground, he peered at Temperance over his mattress. "What?" he was sure this was either a nightmare or the start of a very weird wet dream.

But then she continued to talk and her words made him realize that it was worse than a nightmare. It was reality. His beautifully insane girlfriend was really in his bedroom at god knows what time in the middle of the night, asking him if they were going to have sex.

"Not, you know, about the sexual stuff because I think we know what to do," she mused, a frown on her face as she contemplated that. A thought occurred to her and her cerulean eyes found his brown ones for the first time that night. "Unless _you_ think we don't…I'm pretty sure they have books on this kinda stuff…" she assured him.

This time, his voice had raised an octave and with his eyebrows shot straight to his hairline, he asked incredulously, "_What!_"

"But I meant the more traditional, the more practical kind of 'prepared'," she continued to say. "Like contraceptives-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Bones…"

That was the end of the tether for him. Jumping to interrupt her, glad now that his smarting hip and side seemed fine now, he climbed shakily onto his feet, more unsteady due to the shocking conversation topic she'd picked out of nowhere rather than the fall he'd taken earlier.

Sitting back down gingerly on the edge of his bed, Booth decided that he would take this on with the patience and the tone of someone speaking to a mental patient. _Low, slow and steady, Seeley_, he advised himself. "What is all this about?" he asked her gently.

With the most somber expression he had ever seen on her, Temperance blinked once at him and answered bluntly, "Sex, Booth. Haven't you been paying attention?" She threw her hands up in frustration. "I mean, _honestly_! I don't think we should we treating this lightly, do you?"

"No, no, I'm not treating this lightly – at all," he rushed to assure her. "I just meant…" he chuckled nervously, his entire face feeling like it had been sunburned as he blushed a furious red color. He raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, hoping to alleviate the burning he felt there, too.

"Why did you sneak into my room in the middle of the night to ask me this question out of the blue?" he clarified.

Her reply, delivered in such a flustered tone while her eyes shifted away from his, somehow reassured him even if it had nothing to do with what he'd asked. It made him realize that as insane as she was, she was also as nervous as he was about this particular subject.

"Technically, it's three thirty in the morning," she corrected him on a mumble, a pink tint covering her cheeks.

He barked out a short laugh. Giving her a knowing look, he said, "Bones," urging her to be unafraid and just speak her mind – something he knew she rarely had a difficult time doing when it was just the two of them.

"It's just…" she sighed. When tried again to explain herself, she spoke so fast that he could barely catch all her words. "I sort of stole this magazine from Amy because there was this article in there about how to know when you're ready for sex and most of what was in there was kind of stupid and it made me really confused but it got me thinking and I couldn't sleep since I couldn't _stop_ thinking about it – not in a perverted way or anything – but my mind won't shut down so I came in here and now…"

Much more relaxed now that he knew his girl hadn't been invaded by some weird succubus, he settled back in bed, sitting up against the headboard. He reached out to grasp her hand, chuckling when she needed to take in a deep breath following her speech.

"Bones…" he said gently, his sparkling brown eyes smiling as he gazed down at her. "We can't just…_Do it_ because of a magazine article."

Temperance nodded her head slowly, agreeing with him – the article, she firmly believed, was far too generalized for her to apply to her relationship with Booth. "No, we can't," she acquiesced. "But we _are_ in a committed relationship, aren't we? And we are in an age group where most people start having sex in. Besides…We've been working up from slow kisses to touching under the clothes, using that ridiculous baseball guideline you're so fond of…"

Booth, interrupting her, defended, "It's not actually a _guideline_."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, whatever it is, isn't the goal of increasing contact to someday reach fourth base?"

"Homerun," Booth corrected her, even as he avoided answering her question.

Frustrated, Temperance almost growled, "Why can't we just say 'have sex'?"

Booth grimaced. 'Sex' just seemed a little too awkward for him to say. It didn't make him cringe like it did whenever she said things like 'intercourse' or 'copulate', but it still didn't feel right to him.

His parents hadn't been the ones to give him 'the talk' or teach him how a man should behave towards the woman of his dreams.

His grandfather had been the one to do so and his grandfather had treated his lady love of nearly sixty years as though she had been the queen of the world, the centre of his universe, the reason why he even existed in the first place. He hadn't been the richest man in the world but if there was something Booth's grandmother had wanted, Pops would work his hardest to make sure she got it.

While his own parents' dysfunctional relationship had made him wary of ever being in a long-term relationship and put off the idea of marriage altogether, he had then been privileged to a much loving, softer, beautiful side of love. The kind that didn't hurt and wasn't violent in any way.

When Pops had approached him a few years ago and said that it was time for them to have a talk, man to man, Booth had been apprehensive. The birds and the bees talk had been painful but the talk about how important it was to cherish that wonderful woman once you had her…_That_ talk had changed his life, he was man enough to admit.

Now he had her.

This beautiful, awkward, wonderfully weird girl who made his days brighter and made his dreams that much sweeter.

So, it was with this in mind that he suggested, "How about we call it 'making love'?"

That brought her up short. Frustrations and questions pushed aside, she shot Booth an inquiring look. "'Making love'?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow at him.

He nodded. "Well, that's what it would be, wouldn't it?" he tugged at her hand gently, coaxing her to sit next to him, her back against the headboard. "It would be two people who are in love with each other, showing one another that love by physical means. We would be making love."

Temperance eyed him as he made his speech and the goofy grin he wore at the end of it – mostly to take off the unexpected serious edge this impromptu visit had brought on – made her smile. "Booth…" she shook her head, but he wasn't done.

"And when we _do_ make love, Bones," he interrupted her before she could say anything else. "It's not going to be because of some article or whether we're in an age group."

He leaned closer to her and rested his forehead against hers, smiling softly. Their eyes were locked on one another and she stared, mesmerized, at the chocolate swirls of his irises. "It's going to be because we're both ready and we're in love – "

"We _are_ in love," she interrupted him.

" – and because we're trying our best to get that special connection," he finished.

"Special connection?" she asked, furrowing her brow at him. "What are you talking about?"

Booth shrugged. "That special feeling you get…You know?"

Seeing her confused expression, he realized he needed to elaborate. He pursed his lips, trying to find the right words to describe it. In the end, he figured it was best if he went with what he knew.

"I feel it when you kiss me," he confessed, his voice sounding quieter than usual in the still of the night. "Like…It's as though we're two people trying to occupy the same space. Like there's nothing more I'd wanna do than to become one with you."

Temperance, who had been gazing unblinkingly into his eyes from the moment he had started explaining to her all about making love, bit her lip against the shiver than ran down her spine. Silently urging herself to stick to logic in an attempt to regain her composure, hopefully before Booth had noticed she had been affected at all by his words, she cleared her throat quietly.

Her eyelids fluttered for a moment. "That would mean us trying to break the laws of physics," despite trying to be firm, her voice came out husky and almost whisper-soft. "That's impossible."

He took that in stride. "That's what we'd be trying to do, then," he insisted. "The impossible. We'll, uh," he started to blush again now, frankly surprised at his ability to hold off on that particularly embarrassing reaction 'til now. "We'll try and try to get closer to breaking the laws of physics."

_Why is it that her odd science-y speak seemed so sexy? I think there's something wrong with me…_

Temperance smiled, loving that embarrassed, pinched look on his face. It appeared on his face anytime they spoke about something remotely sexual – she'd briefly mentioned 'teat' once when they were discussing an article she had read on breastfeeding and he had blushed, stuttered, knocked over four different things and scrambled to change the topic all in under a minute.

She reached the hand that wasn't entwined with his and cupped his cheek, lovingly stroking his cheek with the pad of her thumb. "You know, you have a terribly romantic view on sex," she murmured fondly.

"I'm not sorry about it in the least," he stated boldly, his hand snaking up to grasp her hand on his cheek. He turned his head slightly to press kisses on her palm. "I can't look at it like it's just meaningless sex. Nothing with you could ever be meaningless."

The gaze he fixed her with was intense as he asked, "Does that bother you?"

The look in his eyes was making her shy suddenly, even after she had so boldly interrupted his sleep to ask him about the possibility of the two of them having sex. Instead of answering him verbally, Temperance shook her head, a shy smile on her face as she tried her hardest to tamp down the fierce blush that had spread over her entire face.

Clearing her throat, she decided that the best way to stop being flustered was to get _him_ flustered instead. "You know, you still haven't answered my question," she pointed out.

"What question?" he seemed genuinely confused.

"Are we going to have sex?"

Booth cleared his throat, giving her a meaningful look.

She rolled her eyes in response. "Fine," she acquiesced. "Are we going to _make love_?"

Booth gazed at her, taking in the smooth, porcelain skin he loved so much and the beautiful blue eyes that always looked far too ethereal to be ordinary.

If he were completely honest with himself, he had to admit that he had thought of it before. There were times during their previous…_encounters_ when his mind would spiral towards the dizzying possibility of the two of them taking that final step. There were times after that he'd think about it, too. He'd feel like a pervert, to be honest, wondering about making love while she was fast asleep, and would try and shake it off as best as he could.

He'd tell himself it wasn't proper; she wasn't ready. After all, she was only fourteen. No matter how mature she might be in other aspects of life, this was one of those things they had to take very seriously. It wasn't something they could take back if it ended up being a mistake.

Her fingers begun to play with his hands, pulling them onto her lap, and it drew his attention back to the present, reminding him that she was still waiting for an answer.

"What do _you_ think about it?" he asked, curious to know her answer. At least, this way, if she said she thought about it, too, he wouldn't seem like a total jerk.

She pouted, however, and gave him a glare. "I asked you first," she pointed out stubbornly.

Booth rolled his eyes at her first grade retort. Ducking his head, he gave her a fond kiss on the forehead, anyway. "I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought about it," he admitted with a slight blush.

"Really?"

He couldn't tell from her tone or her expression if she was happy or angry about it, but he replied, "Yeah…" He cleared his throat once more, just because he felt incredibly awkward admitting something like that. "Why, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, actually."

He wished he could say he was surprised but how could he when she was the one who had initiated this conversation? He wasn't surprised, no, but he _was_ relieved to hear her say that.

Not that her admission made everything clearer all of a sudden. He still had no idea what to do with that.

The two of them fell silent, shooting nervous, shy sideway glances at each other for a few minutes before Booth dared to break the silence.

"Do you…" he trailed off, raising a hand to rub at his left ear, feeling the skin burning due to his blush. "Do you think that maybe we _are_ ready?" he blurted out quickly.

Temperance bit her lip, drawing her knees up to her chest. "I don't know," she said, wrapping her arms around her knees. Her stomach was fluttering nervously – she believed the expression she'd read about mentioned something about metaphorical butterflies. "I…Shouldn't we _know_ for certain if we are? Isn't there some sort of tell-tale sign?"

"I don't know."

"Or maybe," she theorized. "We're just really nervous and that's why we're not sure."

He shrugged. "I don't know that, either," he gave her an apologetic smile. He knew she wanted him to give her a definite answer but he was just as clueless as she was when it came to this particular topic. "I'm nervous, sure…Do you want to, though?"

Her ivory cheeks flamed, making her skin look as red as a tomato. He reached out and brushed her heated cheek with the back of his finger. He was surprised when she lifted her head, looking him straight in the eye and unwaveringly answered him with a bold, firm, "Yes."

"M-me, too," he stuttered, a little taken aback by her bluntness. "So…What do we…?"

She allowed a crooked grin to spread over her face. "Maybe we could work up to it?" she suggested.

He laughed a little. "Haven't we been doing that already?"

She nodded, "Yes, but this time…Maybe we could intentionally…I mean…Maybe we'll see if we're both ready to go all the way?" She raised an eyebrow at him, that unexpected shyness creeping back in as she questioned, "If you…If that's okay with you?"

Booth nodded his head slowly, as though he was afraid if he was too eager in agreeing with her proposition, this new development in their relationship might get cruelly yanked away from him before he could even get started on it. "Yeah," he smiled at her. "Yeah, that's okay with me."

"Okay," Temperance said on an exhale, looking far more relaxed now that she had gotten this particular concern out of the way. "Alright, then! That's settled."

Booth gave her a weak, knowing smile. "So does this mean you can finally go to sleep now?" he teased.

She sighed. "God, I hope so," she murmured. "I'm _exhausted_."

Booth chuckled, sitting up on his knees and reaching down for the covers that had fallen onto the floor following his fall out of bed earlier. "Come on," he urged her, settling the comforter back onto the bed properly, folding the top so that it lay at her feet. "Lay with me for a bit."

"I can't," she gave him a look, as though he should already know this and shouldn't be tempting her with irresistible offers she would find hard to say no to.

He waved off her refusal. "Sure, you can," he insisted.

Temperance sighed. "We're not in California anymore, Booth," she reminded him. "Pops or Jared, even, might easily walk in and catch us."

"They won't – what reason would they have to come barging into my room?" he countered. "Lay down. Come on. Please?"

She was still hesitant, so he did the only thing a self-respecting boy who wanted the girl he was in love with _could_ do to get her to stay with him.

Quickly scrambling as fast as he could on his knees, he made his way across the mattress until he was right in front of her. He wrapped his fingers around her slim ankles and pulled her down until she was lying flat on her back. She squealed at the sudden movement, giggling.

Her happy response made his efforts to quieten her half-hearted, as he laid down vertically on top of her, careful not to crush her, and placed his hand over her mouth.

"Shh, Bones," he whispered, unable to stop smiling even as he 'reprimanded' her.

"I have to go back to my room," she whispered back.

He frowned at her unhappily. "Aw, come on…What, do I have to kiss you into submission?"

She shook her head. "That wouldn't work," she stated smugly. A cheeky smile crossing her otherwise innocent-looking face, her eyes sparkled as she said mischievously, "But I wouldn't mind the effort."

Their laughter mingled together as he pressed his palms flat on the bed and leaned down to do just that. Temperance's arms went up to twine around his neck, holding him closer as their tongues tangled in slow, lazy strokes.

"Mmm…" Temperance hummed as they pulled away, smiling when Booth brushed, brief, feather-light kisses to her lips every few seconds. "Okay, I'll lay with you," she agreed lazily, making him chuckle. "Just for a few minutes," she warned without heat.

The two of them laid down side by side, spooning one another with Booth's arm wrapped around her middle, his fingers splayed across her womb, and Temperance's back pressed to his front.

Booth smiled as he felt her snuggling into him and lifted his head to press loving kisses to her hair. "You smell good," he complimented on a murmur.

Her laugh was low and husky. "Thank you," she whispered softly, turning her head slightly so she could steal one last kiss from him.

"God, I'm so sleepy," he yawned on that last word.

"Mmm," Temperance hummed, telling herself that she was only going to rest her head for a minute. She closed her eyes, unable to resist the pull, and unable to help it, she slipped into peaceful dreams, fast asleep.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading and for those who reviewed last chapter. It meant a lot to me.<p>

Juliet.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns Bones.

* * *

><p><em>September 5, 1991<em>.

Temperance's blue eyes were wide as she stared unblinkingly at him from across the living room, her lips formed into a large 'O' shape as though she was shocked this was happening – even if she and Booth had discussed it earlier in the morning.

He trudged forward anyway.

"Pops," he said, halting because his voice had squeaked embarrassingly. "I, uh, I'm gonna head to the store for, um…Stuff."

He winced internally.

"Do you, uh, do you need anything?"

Pops glanced up from the paper he was reading. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his grandson. _Well, that was weirder than usual_, he mused. He shot a look at the couch where Temperance was curled up in one corner, War and Peace opened up on her lap and her cheeks flaming red. Whatever it was that Booth was planning, Pops had high suspicions that it had something to do with Temperance.

"What?" Pops asked, wanting Booth to repeat. While his older grandson rarely complained when asked to do something, unlike his younger brother, he had never offered to do chores before.

Booth, shrugging as nonchalantly as possible, said defensively, "I'm headed out, anyway."

Pops stared at him for a long moment and Booth tried his best not to squirm. Finally, Pops looked away, back to his paper. "Nothin' special," he answered. "If you could just grab the list on the fridge door…"

Booth nodded. "Yeah, sure, Pops," he replied immediately. He rushed into the kitchen to yank the grocery list from under the magnet.

Pops had been expecting Temperance to jump up from the couch and 'ask' Booth if she could tag along; after all, he suspected the two wanted to sneak away for some alone time. However, he was surprised when Booth merely waved goodbye at her after she said she didn't want anything from the store for herself.

_Huh. Maybe there's something else making him all nervous and jittery_, Pops frowned after his grandson as he went out the door.

Of course, there _was_ something that was making him nervous and jittery.

Something that made him nervous and jittery enough to make him drive five neighborhoods away just to make sure he didn't accidentally bump into someone he knew.

The grocery store a block away from where he lived wasn't an option – his friend Kyle worked there and the last thing he needed was one of his buddies to know about this and make fun of him. Or, worse, ask Temperance or tease her about it. He didn't want any of them embarrassing her.

The store around the corner from school wasn't a good idea, either. He knew a kid from his Algebra class who worked there and while they weren't close, having barely talked to her at all in his life, she would definitely know who he was because of his athletic participations in school. He didn't know if she was the kind to gossip and he didn't want to risk the entire school population finding out what he intended to buy.

_That_ would be disastrous.

No one knew he was dating anyone. In fact, as far as his schoolmates were concerned, he had been a monk ever since Katie. If anyone were to see his purchase today, they'd assume things – and they'd connect him with Temperance, too, since there already had been a few of his 'friends' who thought the two of them had to be together since they were so close, anyway.

Booth drove around for a bit, looking for a store that might look like it had everything Booth needed to get from the list. He didn't know the area very well and didn't know what was available. He finally spotted a Safeway and sighed in relief, parking his car in the lot in front of it, reserved just for the shoppers.

He took a few minutes in his parked car, his hands shaking on the wheel as he contemplated just forgetting this ridiculous idea.

_We had just talked about it seriously for the first time just last night_, he thought to himself. _It wasn't even a real conversation – I was half asleep throughout the whole thing_.

He took a deep breath, reaching for the shift stick to pull out of his parking space when another thought occurred to him.

_We _did_ talk about it more this morning_, he grudgingly admitted, remembering the hushed talk they had in her room after breakfast. _That_ particular conversation was what had prompted the reason for this trip in the first place. Temperance had been adamant about 'being prepared', even if they were only just starting to 'work towards their eventual goal'. _I was wide awake and the sun was up in the sky_.

Sighing, Booth set the car in park and hesitantly climbed out of his car.

He started blushing before he'd even stepped foot into the store, which only grew progressively worse as he grabbed a basket and went in search.

Booth had this crazy idea that if he were to get 'it' in the middle, and stuffed it in the middle of all the other normal things, maybe he wouldn't draw as much attention to himself. _I mean, it's not like it's totally weird that I'm buying this, right? Other people buy it, too_…He figured he looked old enough to be buying this. _It's not like I'm buying beer or something_, he reasoned.

Thankfully, the aisle was empty was he cautiously approached the shelves, stacked with all different sizes and colors of boxes. _Durex or Trojan. Which is better? Is there such a thing as a 'bad condom'? Dammit, maybe I should've taken up Bones' offer to 'do research' on different brands_…he lamented as he stared helplessly at the boxes. _12 in a pack or 24 in a pack…Comfort or Extra Safe or Deluxe? And I should get the bigger size, right? But what if it's too big to fit me? God, that would be embarrassing…Maybe I should get the regular_…

He stood there for several minutes, lost over which to pick.

He was startled when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw that a man, maybe twenty years his senior, was standing right next to him – he had been so engrossed over his embarrassing first purchase of condoms that he hadn't heard the nearing footsteps. His heated cheeks flamed even more when the man, having snatched a box of condoms from the shelves without needing any consideration at all, looked over at him with a knowing leer.

Booth stood completely still, his body frozen and his face continued to burn as the man raised both his eyebrows at him, that knowing look still there on his face before he turned and walked away.

Once he was sure that he was all alone yet again, Booth almost breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, the embarrassment that was the most prominent of his emotions hindered any relief he might've felt.

Deciding that he needed to move away from this particular aisle as soon as he could, he grabbed the same box the stranger had just moments ago. _Trojan, 12 Premium Latex Condoms_, Booth read off the box. _Huh_.

He quickly stuffed the box of condoms in between a loaf of bread and a large carton of OJ. To be sure that no one between where he was standing and the cashier at the other end of the store could catch a glimpse of the box, he packed the sides of the basket with items like packets of cheese slices and boxes of cookies. For good measure, he threw the newspaper he'd grabbed off the shelf and a large ham on top of the bread.

There were three people in line at the register so he loitered at the end of an aisle nearby until all three were checked out. He looked around as discreetly as possible to make sure that no one else was approaching the counter before he made his way over.

Smiling forcedly at the teenage girl behind the counter, he almost slammed the basket of groceries on top of the cashier counter.

The girl eyed him interestedly as she ran the items from his basket one by one through the scanner. Booth barely paid her any mind; rather, his attention was drawn to her hands, pulling out the groceries. He was dreading the moment when she'd pull out the box of condoms.

When she finally did, it wasn't his purchase but his reaction that made her quirk an eyebrow his way – the moment he saw what she held in her hands, he averted his gaze immediately, blushed madly and started to fiddle with his wallet while clearing his throat loudly.

Hiding her snickers, the girl finished scanning the rest of his purchases – and yes, that included the box of condoms – and pushed the two paper grocery bags towards him. "That'll be thirty-two bucks and forty seven cents," she informed him.

Booth pulled out two twenties from his wallet and shoved them into her palm. "Here," he said hurriedly. "Keep the change."

The cashier watched as Booth gathered the two grocery bags into his arms and rushed out of the store. Her poker face broke, her lips splitting into a wide smile and she shook her head, chuckling.

Booth, meanwhile, had made it into his car, grocery bags stashed in the passenger's seat. He was breathing hard from the adrenaline rush that had happened moments ago, and his fingers were gripping the steering wheel tightly, much like earlier before he'd gone into the store.

Once he'd calmed down and reassured himself that it was highly unlikely that a random stranger would meet his grandfather, notice the familial similarities between Pops and Booth and make some sort of comment about how she had sold him condoms, Booth sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

_Leave no trace behind_, Booth reminded himself as he rooted in the paper bags for the receipt. His fingers found the thin piece of paper and he pulled it out with a triumphant grin. He almost felt like saying "A-ha!"

Crushing the receipt into a tiny ball, he opened his car door and climbed out, quickly jogging over to a garbage can nearby and tossing the balled up receipt in it. He didn't want to risk putting the receipt in the glove compartment only to forget about it and have someone else find it accidentally.

His left leg kept bouncing the entire drive back home. The moment he was parked in the driveway, he pulled out the box of condoms, stashed it in the inside pocket of his jacket and zipped it up.

"I'm back!" he announced, perhaps a little too loudly, as he entered through the front door, grocery bags in hand.

Temperance greeted him in the foyer, cheeks flushed pink and blue eyes wide and anxious.

She opened her mouth, her eyes darting from his face to the two bags he held in his arms. "Where…?"

He shook his head, raising his hand to place a finger against his lips before remembering that he had a heavy grocery bag in his arms. "Shh," he whispered anyway. "I have it – don't worry," he mouthed, just in case anyone was listening in.

"Hey, Shrimp," Pops said, causing the both of them to jump. "You just gonna stand there all day?"

"Uh…No…" Booth answered lamely.

Temperance gave Pops a shaky smile. "I was just…Coming out here to help Booth," she offered, reaching out to grab one of the bags from him.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What? I don't need any…" she discreetly treaded on the toes of his right foot, making him grimace in pain. Taking note of her glare, he swallowed back his groan of pain and merely extended the bag cradled to his right side. "Here, take this – it's lighter."

Her glare only intensified at that but by some grace of God, she chose not to lecture him on his "Cro-Magnon" views which clashed so fiercely with her feminist views. She snatched the bag from his left side instead and stormed off towards the kitchen.

Pops grinned at Booth, unapologetic in the fact that he took great pleasure in witnessing the always amusing dynamics between Booth and Temperance.

Rolling his eyes, Booth sighed and followed Temperance into the kitchen. She'd already started putting things away, moving at a speed that he'd never seen her move in. Understanding that she didn't want to wait long to speak to him, he put away the groceries as quickly as he could without raising suspicion.

Even then, Pops squinted his eyes at the two of them. "I've never seen two kids so eager to put away the groceries before," he commented dryly.

Booth grinned sheepishly, slowing down somewhat as he placed the last items – canned tuna, which was just disgusting to him – in their rightful places. "Yeah…Well…" he trailed off awkwardly. "Um, listen, Bones and I have to get started on…Homework. So…"

Pops chuckled, nodding his head slowly as though realization had suddenly dawned on him. "Ah, right, of course," he winked exaggeratedly at Booth. "_Homework_."

Booth, who hadn't realized his goof considering school hadn't even started yet, merely grabbed Temperance's hand. Ignoring the blush painted on her cheeks, he pulled her gently towards the kitchen door. "We'll just…Uh…Yeah…"

"You do realize that it's still the summer holidays, don't you?" Temperance hissed under her breath as they escaped from the kitchen.

Booth grimaced just as they heard Pops yelling out from the kitchen – "Keep the door open! I'll be checkin' on ya!"

The two hurried up to Temperance's room, pushing the door almost close, with only a small gap between the frame and the door. Leaving the door wide open would've made Booth feel far too self-conscious to have this particular conversation.

Temperance plopped down on the floor, sitting cross-legged on the fluffy white rug with her back pressed to the side frame of her bed. Her eyes followed him as he moved towards her, settling right next to her and mimicking her position.

"Did you get it?" she asked in a low murmur.

He nodded, unzipping his jacket and pulling out the box from his inside pocket. "Here it is," he whispered back.

Temperance took the box and examined every inch of it like she did one of the specimens in their lab assignments. "Wonder what they look like," she mused out loud, moving to open the box and pull one of the condoms out.

Booth's hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around her slim wrist and stopping her. "They look…You know…Normal," he winced, blushing. "Let's not do this here."

"Why not?"

"You know anyone can walk in on us, right?" he pointed out. "The door's not actually closed. Or locked."

Temperance shrugged. "So?" she hissed. "What if…What if we're, you know, _ready_. To, uh, _go_, one of these days and then we get one of these things out and they don't fit? That would put a damper on the sex – " At his half glare, she corrected herself, "I'm sorry, the _lovemaking_. Don't you think?"

He sighed, giving her a look. "I _think_ this is less romantic than I thought it would be," he confessed wryly.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "You thought checking the condoms would be romantic?" she asked incredulously.

He did a double take at her words. "What? N-no," he spluttered. "I meant…You know, never mind," he shook his head. He had a feeling trying to explain himself would only make things a whole lot more complicated.

A gentle knock at the door sent them into a panic. Temperance froze, damning evidence still clutched in her hands. Booth reached over, grabbed the box and stuffed it under the bed just in time. The door swung open and Pops stepped through the door.

He frowned at the two of them sitting on the floor. "What are the two of you doing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Booth shrugged. "Sitting on the floor," he replied. Pops gave him a look and he cracked a cheeky grin. "We're just talking, Pops."

Temperance nodded beside him.

Pops rolled his eyes. "Alright," he shook his head. "Just keep the door open, kids."

"We were."

"That wasn't open," Pops corrected. "That was practically shut tight. When I say 'open', I meant…" he trailed off, finishing his sentence non-verbally by exaggerating his movements as he pushed the door wide open and left it like that.

Booth nodded. "_Oh_," he exaggerated, as though this was news to him. "Well, we know that now. Thanks, Pops."

Pops glared at him before turning around to walk out. "Smart ass," he muttered, just loud enough for his grandson to hear.

Booth chuckled a little, waiting until Pops was far enough away from the room before he let his nerves show. "Could you just…Hide it somewhere?" he pleaded with Temperance. "There's a less likely chance anyone would find it if we keep it in your room."

She nodded, actually finding it kind of nice that she had that sort of privacy here. Of course, that pleasant feeling was tainted a little by the guilt she felt at sneaking around behind Pops' back to do something like this.

"When should we do it?" Temperance asked Booth curiously.

He stared at her.

"I mean, are you just going to carry a condom –"

He grimaced. "We're gonna need a code word, okay?" he interrupted her. "It's 'cracker', okay? We're calling it 'cracker'."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine," she huffed. "So are you just going to carry a cracker with you at all times? Or are we just going to walk around…Cracker-less and just chance it? Or maybe we should schedule it!"

"Schedule it?" he frowned.

She nodded.

"That sounds…"

"Practical."

"Exactly."

She beamed as though she'd received some sort of high praise. "Thank you!"

He shook his head at her, a small smile forming on his lips. _It's impossible not to love how awkward she is_, he thought fondly. "Bones…That wasn't a compliment, babe," he said gently, watching her face fall slightly. He rubbed the pad of his thumb against the soft flesh of her bottom lip. "I don't want to schedule our first time. That'd be so…Wrong."

Temperance sighed, leaning into his side. "I forgot for a moment that you're a romantic," she commented, resting her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her. She reached under the bed, pulling out the box and opening it before he could protest. She pulled one foil wrapped condom from the box and handed it to him. "Since we're not scheduling it…" she trailed off, giving him a meaningful look.

He took the condom from her obediently, slipping it inside his wallet. "There you go," he exhaled as he slipped the wallet back into his back jean pocket. "It's in my wallet."

Despite the guilt he felt over setting their crazy plan in action – he had been an altar boy, after all, and his Catholic morals were embedded in him; pre-marital sex, while something any teenage boy dreamed about since puberty hit, was something that set his heart racing in more ways than one – he couldn't help feeling…Exulted.

_Must be the thrill of doing something I shouldn't be doing_, he thought, thinking back to the little acts of rebellion he'd had as a kid. _Hell, I did it all the way into high school – until Bones came along, that is. Wonder why…?_

She stared at him in confusion. "Yes, I saw you put it in there," she said, her tone matching the look on her face. "Why are you giving me a live commentary?"

* * *

><p><em>September 7, 1991<em>.

She woke up to the feel of feather-light kisses all over her face. Her eyes fluttered before she opened them wide. "Booth…" she murmured sleepily. "What are you doing in here?"

He grinned happily. "I'm supposed to be here to wake you up - Pops' orders," he informed her. "I'm doing just that."

"Pops asked you to wake me with kisses?" she sounded incredulous.

He chuckled, reveling in the warmth of her body as she rolled over and snuggled into him. He brushed back her hair from her face and lightly ran his fingers up and down her arm. "Well, he doesn't know about the kisses," he teased. "But you do have to get up."

She groaned, turning her head to look at her alarm clock. "You do know it's only five forty five?" she questioned, looking over at him. "Your alarm clock normally doesn't even ring until five minutes to seven."

Her eyes widened as a horrid possibility came over her. She shot up in bed, a horrified expression crossing over her features. "Oh, God!" she whispered, hand coming up to cover her mouth. "Is my alarm clock broken? Am I late for school? Booth, I can't be tardy –I've had perfect attendance since I came to live here. I can't break it now!"

He rolled his eyes. _Who worries about perfect attendance?_ "Bones, your clock's working just fine," he assured her.

The panic disappeared, followed by relief. "But then…Why…?" she trailed off, looking at him confusedly.

He grinned widely at her, cupping her cheeks with his hands. "Happy birthday, beautiful girl," he crooned, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

When she didn't respond, he pulled back to give her a questioning look.

"You know it's my birthday?" she looked stunned, her voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded. "Sure," he replied easily, not realizing how much that one word meant to her. "Of course I do. You told me when we were getting to know each other, remember? Beginning of the year?"

"But…You remembered?"

He frowned. "'course I did, gorgeous," he was startled when she threw her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly to her. "Hey…Baby, are you okay?"

He was worried he'd said something wrong when her shoulders started to shake slightly and he could hear sniffling noises coming from her – even if her face was hidden in the crook of his neck, it was obvious she was crying.

"Babe…?"

Her shaking frame stilled for a moment before she pulled back, no longer sniffling. Her porcelain face was red and her cheeks streaked with tears. She gave him an embarrassed smile as he reached up to tenderly wipe the tears from her face with his thumbs. "I'm sorry," she sniffed, blinking away the unshed tears in her eyes. "I've just…I haven't celebrated my birthday for a long time now."

Understanding flared in his eyes and his face fell. "Oh, Bones…" he pulled her closer. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think about that. That was stupid of me…I should have…"

She shook her head. "No, no, it's fine," she rushed to assure him. "You couldn't have known that. For all you know, I _did_ celebrate my birthdays."

"But…"

"But nothing," she said in a mock stern voice. "Those weren't sad tears, Booth. They were happy tears."

Her smile was beautiful as she gazed at him with loving eyes. "You remembered my birthday," she murmured in a voice filled with awe, as though he had saved the world from a terrible apocalyptic end instead of merely wishing her a happy birthday.

He had to admit – when she looked at him like that, it made him feel as though he was invincible, like he was her hero even when, in his eyes, he hadn't done anything to merit that honor. He was _addicted_ to that look.

"I remember everything about you," he said honestly, earnestly.

Her eyes welled up a little at his admission.

He smiled, reaching out to cup the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair, and gently tilting her head up so he could kiss her. She kept her mouth closed the entire time and kissed him more reservedly than usual – she didn't want to chance morning breath.

"Come on," he gave her one last quick peck on the lips. "Let's go downstairs."

"What? Why?"

"I have a surprise for you."

Temperance gave him a wary look. "I'm not so sure I enjoy surprises, Booth," she said uneasily, remembering back to her childhood where the first 'surprise' she could remember had been her brother's idea of a good prank – worms in her cereal.

From then on, anything to do with the word 'surprise' tended to elicit an unpleasant reaction from her.

The first time her parents had ever tried surprising her had been when she was five. They had gotten her a bike but Russ had her convinced that it was some sort of flesh eating monster beneath the sheets and she had kicked and screamed any time she was near the present until it was unveiled and she could see for herself that it was only a harmless bicycle.

The second time they had tried surprising her had been on her sixth birthday – they'd orchestrated a surprise birthday party. She had been so shocked when everyone had jumped out to surprise her that she had stomped on her neighbor's toes and gave Billy Frank a black eye.

There hadn't been a third time.

"You'll love this one," he said, climbing out of bed and holding his hand out for her to take as well. "I promise."

She eyed his hand warily for a few seconds before deciding to trust his judgment. After all, he hadn't steered her wrong before, unless it was regarding school – he tended not to be too conscientious when it came to school work and tended to rely too much on her for _her_ to rely on _him_ for a change.

He led her out of her room but she made him pause before they headed down the stairs – she wasn't comfortable spending too much time after being awake without at least brushing her teeth and splashing her face with water to shake off the sleepiness. He, on the other hand, would go hours on end during the weekends lounging in his pajamas in front of the television. Clearly, they had differing views on hygiene.

"Is that pancakes I smell?" Temperance questioned, taking in a deep breath of the heavenly smell as they made their way closer towards the kitchen.

"SURPRISE!"

Temperance gasped, eyes going round in shock as she took in the scene before her. Pops and Jared were both dressed for the day, just like Booth was, and they stood at the kitchen counter. Spread out before them were plates of pancakes slightly burnt at the edges, freshly made waffles and thirteen cupcakes spelling out "Happy Birthday".

"Happy birthday, Tempe," Jared smiled at her. Temperance grinned back, even if she was concerned at how dull his eyes were and how his smile was too small and not too genuine.

"Hey, kiddo!" Pops bellowed jovially, enveloping her in a tight bear hug. She was sure those hugs ran in the family. "Happy birthday, little lady. Wow. Fifteen, huh? Seems like just yesterday when you were fourteen…" he chuckled at his own joke. "Get it? Because you _were_ fourteen yesterday?"

His chuckles died out awkwardly when no one else laughed with him.

"Yeah, we got it, Pops," Booth said dryly.

Pops' frowned was lifted when Temperance pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Thank you so much," she gushed, bright-eyed and red-cheeked. "This is…Really wonderful. You really didn't have to do this."

"Ah," Pops waved his hand dismissively. "It's not like you turn fifteen twice."

Temperance blushed as Booth hurried to stick a candle in one of the cupcakes, lighting it. He started to burst into a rendition of 'Happy Birthday', but she quickly placed her hand over his mouth.

"No singing – please," she mumbled. There was a part of her – the shy little girl part of her – that was embarrassed by all the attention shed on her, even if she was flattered beyond belief that they had gone to so much trouble for her.

Jared snickered. "Yeah, you might just ruin this for everyone," he jested.

Booth glared at his brother, plucking a grape from the fruit bowl nearby and throwing it at Jared. Jared ducked it easily and stuck his tongue out at him.

"Make a wish, babe," Booth said to Temperance, moving to stand behind her and placed his hands on her hips, his thumbs rubbing small circles through the thin material of her duck-printed pajama top.

Temperance rolled her eyes, turning her head around to give him a look even if she stayed in his arms. "I'm not a child, Booth," she admonished gently. "I know birthday wishes don't work."

"Only if you tell people what you wished for," he insisted, a boyish grin on his face that she found absolutely adorable. "I promise I won't ask."

She shook her head, smiling slightly at his antics, but she indulged him, closing her eyes and making a wish.

The funny thing was, as she thought of what she wanted to wish for, she realized that for the first time in a long time, she had nothing that she needed to wish for. She had everything she could possibly need – or want, really. She had never been the extravagant type and all she wanted was a safe home and a family. Booth had given her exactly that.

There was, however, just _one_ thing that would make her extremely happy. One thing that she couldn't achieve on her own, like good grades or getting into Northwestern.

Despite her belief in science and the near impossibility of the human race being monogamous for their entire lives, she made a wish mentally.

_I wish for Booth and I to be together forever in a happy, contented, satisfying romantic relationship – _monogamou_s relationship_.

Leaning forward, Temperance blew out the candle.

"Awesome," Jared snatched up one of the candle-less cupcakes, taking a sizeable bit out of it. "What's you wish for?"

At Booth's raised eyebrow, Jared shrugged. "What! _I_ didn't promise not to ask her," he pointed out.

Temperance laughed. "Either way, I'm not telling," she teased, ruffling Jared's hair before taking the cupcake. She plucked the candle out before taking a dainty bite out of it. "This is good," she commented before fixing Pops with a knowing smile. "Store bought?"

He chuckled, nodding. "I gave up working the oven a long time ago, sweetheart," he shuddered at the memory of the birthday cake he'd tried to make for his sweet Marietta the first year they were married. He'd nearly ended up burning the kitchen down.

"Okay, well, enjoy your birthday breakfast," Booth urged, gently guiding Temperance onto a stool at the counter. "And we'll celebrate more after school."

Temperance raised an eyebrow. "More?" she frowned. "But…You've already done so much."

Booth shook his head. Birthday breakfast had been a tradition that Pops had enthusiastically introduced when they'd come to live with him after David left. He suspected his grandfather had only done it to cheer them up some, but it was a tradition both he and his brother looked forward to every year. They repaid the favor, of course, by making Pops birthday breakfast for _his_ birthday every year. It would mostly consist of pop tarts and frozen waffles, but it was the thought that count

"We haven't even given you your presents yet," he reminded her.

Temperance flushed bright red at the thought of any of them spending money on her like that. She didn't need them to do that, or to go out of their way to find her gifts. "Oh…You really didn't need to do that…Any of you…This is enough, honestly," she insisted.

Jared raised an eyebrow. "You couldn't have told me that _before_ I got you something?" he asked dryly.

Pops, sitting right next to him, scowled at him and slapped him on the arm, shushing him. "Oh, hush boy," he scolded. Turning to Temperance, he assured her, "We wanted to, sweetheart."

Booth snagged three of the pancakes from the stack, placing it on an empty plate. "I'm just gonna help you eat all this," he joked as he snatched the bottle of maple syrup and drenched the pancakes in the sweet syrup.

Jared glared at him. "Hey!" he protested. "I didn't slave over the stove for _you_!"

Booth snorted. "You didn't _slave_ over anything," he retorted. "You woke up enough to come downstairs and fell asleep on the sofa while Pops and I made breakfast."

Temperance rolled her eyes. "It's highly improbable for me to finish all of this by myself, as flattered as I am by your gesture," she said, taking a waffle for herself. "I don't mind you joining me."

With all three of the Booths eating with her, her birthday breakfast disappeared in the blink of an eye it seemed. Since Booth and Jared had already showered before breakfast, Temperance could spend a few extra minutes in the bathroom.

"No, no, no, no," Booth rushed over to her as soon as she came downstairs once more.

She raised her eyebrows at him, watching confusedly as he took her bag from her, slinging it over his shoulder and cradled her books in his arms. "Booth…What are you doing?" she asked.

"Birthday girl has to be relaxed at all times and isn't allowed to carry anything for the whole day," he stated, much to her annoyance. "It's a rule."

"No, it's not."

"Is, too. Unofficial rule."

"It's not official _or_ unofficial, Booth," she reached for her books. "It's not any kind of rule."

"It's unspoken."

"Booth…" she growled, yanking at the strap of her book bag, frustrated that he kept shifting his arms out of reach every time she tried to grab her books.

He merely smiled fondly at her, swatting her hands away gently. "Just let me do this, huh?" he asked her quietly.

"Do _what_!" she pouted, crossing her arms across her chest. "Indulge in your caveman impulses?"

He offered her a charming smile, "Yes."

She groused a little but allowed him to carry her things to the car, thanking him with an innocent kiss to the cheek since Jared was in the backseat of Booth's car.

She really had to talk to Booth about letting the younger Booth brother know about them – while she felt it was right for them to keep their relationship a secret from the outside world, Jared was family. She was sure they could at least trust _him_ to keep their secret. Besides, he was only twelve after all. Who would he tell?

The moment Booth pulled up in his usual spot in the student parking lot, her door swung open. "Happy birthday, Tempe!" Amy practically shrieked in her ear, pulling her out of the car and wrapping her in a tight hug.

"Shh! Not so loud!" Temperance hissed at Amy, hastily disentangling herself. She looked around anxiously to see if anyone had heard but the rest of the world had gone on like she was invisible. She breathed a sigh of relief – she could only imagine what grief she would receive from Booth's old 'friends' if they found out she was 'celebrating' her birthday. She'd rather the day pass by unnoticed at school.

Amy rolled her eyes at Temperance's paranoid expression. "Okay…" she trailed off. "Can I give you your present now or do we need to find a dark corner?"

Temperance's annoyance at her joke was squashed by the nauseating mix of embarrassment and excitement at the idea of Amy getting her a present. "A present? Amy…You shouldn't have spent your money on me," she shook her head, an awkward smile on her face.

Amy shared a look with Booth who laughed, slinging an arm around Temperance's shoulder. "You're lucky – she nearly ripped my head off when I mentioned gifts," he teased.

Temperance scowled at him. "I most certainly did not!" she said indignantly. "For one thing, I don't require the amount of strength it would take to do such a thing…"

He blinked at her. "Wow," he said wryly. "I'm so glad that was the first thing you decided to clear up…No 'I would never kill you, Booth'? No 'even if I turned into Cat woman, you have nothing to worry about'?"

Temperance sniffed. "I would never turn into Cat woman," she scoffed. "Everyone knows Wonder Woman always wins. Why would I want to be second best?"

Amy shook her head. "You know…You two are pretty weird," she commented lightly.

Before either of them could reply, Amy pulled out a neatly wrapped rectangular box from her bag. "Here – you can hide it from everyone's sight if you want," she said with a cheeky grin. "But I thought it was totally necessary for a fifteen year old…Even bought one for myself."

Temperance thanked her, quickly stuffing the box into Booth's bag since it was bigger than hers and would hide the bulge much better. "Thank you," she said as graciously as possible, not wanting to seem ungrateful even if she didn't want the rest of the school to find out it was her birthday and make fun of her for it. "That was very nice of you."

Amy grinned, sensing the genuine thankfulness in Temperance's voice even if the shy blush hadn't left her cheeks. "You're welcome!" She shrieked wordlessly once more and gave Temperance another tight hug. "I'm sorry – I've always loved birthdays," she smiled apologetically for her over-enthusiastic attitude.

* * *

><p>"This one's from me," Jared said, pushing a rectangular box towards Temperance. She plucked the card from the top and read the generic 'Happy Birthday' message, Jared's name scribbled messily at the bottom.<p>

Temperance smiled at him, carefully unwrapping the present with minimal to zero tears to the wrapping paper. She lifted the lid of the box to find a pair of alphabet bookends - one was in the form of the letter 'T' and the other in the form of the letter 'B'. "Wow! Thank you, Jared," she grinned, giving him a one-armed hug.

He blushed red, shrugged in the most nonchalant manner he could manage and mumbled something that sounded like "It was nothing…"

"Let's not forget Amy's gift," Booth teased, pulling out the package Amy had given her earlier at school.

Temperance, her face a constant shade of red ever since she'd come home to find the living room decorated in streamers and a banner with a 'Happy 15th Birthday" painted on it, unwrapped the box.

She frowned as the wrapping and bow came off, revealing a silver case, resembling something much like a mini suitcase. She undid the two latches and the lid sprang open. She gasped as she saw the inside of the box – ten cylindrical tubes filled with ten different shades of lip gloss, pots of blushes, foundations and eye shadow colors settled comfortably in their own specific places. Hair scrunchies of fifteen different colors and tiny little bottles of fragrances and lotions. The case consisted of everything on a small vanity table, crammed in one box.

"Wow…" Jared sounded unimpressed. "A bunch of girly stuff…"

"Shh," Booth warned his brother. "Girls like that stuff."

Temperance rolled her eyes at their total failure at being quiet. She was unable to keep the smile off her face, however. She might not be the most girlish girl on the planet but she was still excited about Amy's gift. Besides – she had a funny little habit of putting on different flavored lip gloss and asking Booth if he liked the taste of it when they kissed. It was an embarrassing thing but Booth hadn't seemed to mind indulging her.

She made a mental note to call Amy as soon as her birthday celebration with the Booth family was over, to thank her for such a generous gift. She worried that it might've cost too much and made another mental note to try and find out how much it was, discretely, so she could repay Amy when _her_ birthday came around – it would only serve to make her anxious if she didn't, wondering if her present cost less than the one Amy had gotten for her.

Next was the present Debbie had sent via mail and asked Pops to hide until it was Temperance's birthday. The card was bursting with color and had different animated characters carrying balloons and gifts. "Happy Sweet 15th – Just One Year Left Till You Can Drive!" the message on the inside of the card read.

As it turned out, Debbie had gotten her an entire shipping box full of new clothes that – according to a side message she'd written on the card – she felt suited Temperance to a tee. She also added gift cards to several clothing stores just in case Temperance needed or wanted something more that she hadn't included.

Temperance felt a little guilty that Debbie had spent so much money on her but she _was_ grateful for the gift. More so, she actually loved what she'd seen of the clothes in the box before Booth pulled her away, stating she could do that 'girly stuff' later after their small party.

"Mine next," Booth said, handing Temperance a small, rectangular blue velvet box.

Jared shot Booth a smug look. "Mine's bigger," he stated, confident that this meant he'd given Temperance a better present. _She had hugged me for it_, he remembered, crossing his arms over his puffed out chest.

Pops snorted in laughter at the accidental double entendre and Booth glared at Jared, swatting him on the arm and hissing for him to 'shut up, Jared'.

Temperance ignored the squabbling brothers. She slowly opened the velvet box – so obviously a jewelry box – with some trepidation.

Booth had returned his attention back to Temperance, watching her diligently, wanting to catch the expression on her face when she saw his gift for her. _God, I hope she likes it_.

Temperance gasped, his widening in shock, as she saw the beautiful bracelet nestled in the box. It was a gorgeous yellow gold bangle, adorned with tiny little white diamonds.

She recognized the design immediately, having come from a family with strong Irish roots. While it had been made clear to both she and Russ that they didn't have any family other than their parents, Matthew and Christine Brennan had both been from Irish American families and had taught them several things about their Irish heritage. She had grown up listening to quite a few Irish bedtime stories and there had been a lullaby her mother had sang to her that spoke of angels and fairies dancing over hills.

One of the stories that had enchanted her growing up was something that wasn't necessarily traditional in the usual sense but had Irish roots in it just the same. It was the Claddagh ring her mother had always worn on her right hand, next to the family ring. Her father had presented her mother with that ring when he realized he was in love with her, as a sort of pre-engagement ring.

She had loved listening to that story, often begging to hear her parents' love story over and over again as a child. She had told Booth that story once, when they had been lying together under the stars in Galena.

"It's not a ring," Booth said, his voice soft as he sidled up next to her on the floor in the living room. "But I thought it was appropriate."

Temperance looked up at him, too stunned to form a smile on her lips. Something in her facial expression must have told him how much she loved his gift because he had a loving smile curled on his lips as he reached up and gently brushed at the tears at the corner of her eye with his thumb.

"It's," she paused, clearing her throat so her voice wouldn't sound so shaky and thick with tears. "It's so beautiful, Booth…Thank you," her words were whispered just to keep her voice from cracking.

He could still hear the gratitude in her voice. Reaching out, he gently took the bracelet from its case and slid it onto her wrist. Both pairs of their eyes were fixed on the bracelet until Booth lifted her hand and pressed a soft kiss on her knuckles.

"Happy birthday, baby," he whispered, only for her ears as he hugged her close, burying his nose in her hair. "I love you."

For some reason, his admission of love – something that he did constantly every day – made her eyes well up all over again. She hugged him tightly, watery eyes fixed on the bracelet on her wrist. "I love you, too," she whispered in his ear. "This is so beautiful, Booth. Thank you."

He pulled back a little, not enough to release her from their embrace, but enough to cup her soft cheeks in his hands, giving her an intimate Eskimo's kiss. Like always, their noses rubbing against each other made her forget her tears and a goofy, happy smile appear on her lips. She chuckled, making his heart flutter.

Completely forgetting about whose company they were in, Booth leaned in, his eyes locked solely on those gorgeous baby blues of hers. Her lips parted in anticipation as he drew closer, her eyes fluttering. They slid close the moment his lips touched hers, his mouth molding the soft flesh of her lips in the most loving way possible. Her breath caught in her throat as she savored his kisses, her fingers gripping onto his shirt at his back.

Someone cleared their throat but that wasn't what made them jump apart.

"Aha!" Jared yelled.

Booth and Temperance sprung apart, wide eyes looking in Jared's direction, their chests heaving.

Jared had jumped up from his spot on the floor and he was pointing at the two teenagers, his eyes narrowed accusingly. "I _knew_ the two of you were dating each other!"

Booth frowned at him. "You did!"

Jared seemed to take offense at the incredulous tone Booth had said that in. "I'm not stupid, you know," he said irritably.

Temperance, whose fingers were now pressed to her swollen mouth, stared wide-eyed at Jared. "Jared…" she trailed off guiltily. "I'm really sorry you had to find out like that…Goodness, I hadn't even realize what we were doing…"

Jared shrugged. "It's fine, I guess," he sounded too sulky to have meant his words. "It's just uncool that you didn't tell me."

"We didn't tell anyone," Temperance tried to assure him.

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Pops didn't even blink an eye when you two started making out," he pointed out.

Temperance pursed her lips. "Okay, we told Pops," she allowed, nodding her head once in agreement. "But only because we didn't feel right lying to him about the change in our relationship."

Pops smirked. "_And_ because I caught 'em lip locking," he added.

Temperance blushed. "Yes, well," she cleared her throat. "That, too."

"Look, kid," Booth interrupted gruffly. "Fact is – you're not the best with secrets and we thought you were gonna let it slip."

Jared's mouth fell open and an insulted expression marred his features. "No, I won't!" he defended himself.

Temperance gave him a look that Booth liked to think of as her 'innocent manipulation' look. Her eyes would get round and wide and they would shine hopefully – he dared anyone to say 'no' to her when she had that look. Funny thing was, he was sure she _honestly_ didn't know she even had a look like that, let alone know how to use that look.

_Savor it while it lasts, man_, he advised himself, fondly remembering how Pops used to tell stories about how Gran used to trick him into doing things he would've never in a million wanted to do had it not been for her smile. He knew it was only a matter of time before she'd learn it, though.

He remembered the soft smile on Pops' face every time he'd talk about Gran and decided that maybe, it wouldn't be too bad being on the receiving end of that look for the rest of his life if he could have a love like Pops and Gran with Temperance.

"So, you promise you will help us keep our secret?" she asked Jared, looking at him so earnestly that he was nodding before she even finished asking.

"Um, yea, sure…"

She grinned happily. "Thank you, Jared," she hugged him – with _both_ arms this time, he noticed eagerly.

Booth cleared his throat, pulling Temperance gently out of Jared's arms as the younger brother held on for a little too long. "Okay, that's great," he said quickly. "Let's get back to the party, huh? One more present and it's time for cake."

She rolled her eyes, even as she accepted the red-colored package from Pops. "Is food all you ever think about?"

"You know it, babe," he grinned leeringly at her, wagging his eyebrows in a ridiculous fashion.

She chuckled, shaking her head at him.

Jared, on the other hand, stared incredulously at the two of them and gagged. "Just because I know about you two now, it doesn't mean you have to flirt like that in front of me, you know?" he grumbled.

Temperance rolled her eyes as Booth mockingly mimicked Jared's words and tone.

Turning her attention towards the present in her hand, she noticed that unlike the other gifts she'd received, this one wasn't wrapped. It was placed inside a slip fashioned out of reddish brown cloth with printed patterns all over it. She pulled at the string at the top to loosen the opening of the slip and pulled out a book.

The book had a dark red leather cover and nothing on the front but a delicately painted golden rose. Temperance frowned in confusion until she turned the pages and noticed the empty pages – this was obviously a journal.

"This was my Marietta's," Pops revealed to Temperance. "She saw it once and had to have it. She was never much of a writer, though, and couldn't find any words to put in there until she died…Maybe _you_ could."

Temperance stared open-mouthed, her shocked gaze sliding from Pops to the journal and back again. "Wha…Pops, I can't take this…" she whispered.

"Pssh," he scoffed. "'course ya can. I'm not much of a writer, either. Most I do are crossword puzzles."

"But…"

Pops leaned forward, his hands cupping hers, steadying the journal in her grasp, a soft smile on his face. "Take it," he urged. "You'll put it to good use."

She nodded, thanking him on a hushed whisper for giving her something that had belonged to the love of his life. She knew that had to be difficult, to let go like that. She made a vow not to misuse the journal to write about petty teenaged problems, but instead find something beautiful and had more depth to it to write about, even if that meant the journal had to stay empty for a little while longer.

"Alright!" Booth jumped up from his place next to Temperance, clapping his hands together once and putting in extra enthusiasm in his voice to hopefully diffuse the slightly somber edge in the atmosphere. "Time for cake!"

Both Temperance and Booth chuckled as they stood up and Jared made a mad dash for the kitchen, quickly followed by Booth. Just as he was passing the table outside the kitchen door, the cordless phone on top of it started to ring.

Booth swiped it even as he kept on running towards the kitchen – cake, after all, was a very high priority. "Hello?" he spoke into the phone, glaring at Jared who was pulling out the cake-bought cake from the fridge Pops had picked up while the kids were at school.

"Um…Hey. I mean, hi," the person on the other end spoke nervously. Whoever it was cleared their throat for a moment before saying, "Um…Can I, uh…Is Temperance there? Brennan, I mean. Temperance Brennan."

Booth skidded to a halt, not even paying any mind to Jared who was swiping some frosting from the cake. "Who is this?" he asked suspiciously and – he wasn't ashamed to admit it – protectively. "What do you want with her?"

"This is…It's Russ. Brennan. Her, uh, brother…?"

Booth pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at it incredulously for a few seconds. How had Russ gotten their home number? And why the call all of a sudden? He was under the impression that Temperance hadn't had any interactions with her family ever since they'd left her

_And why on her birthday of all days_, he thought, his eyes finding Temperance as she and Pops joined the brothers in the kitchen. His gaze traced over her happy smile, wondering if this would only serve to make her happier or ruin whatever happiness she'd felt lately.

"Oh," Booth said, stumped. _Well, I can't forbid him to talk to her…Besides, she might want to hear from him_, he tried to persuade himself. _This could be a happy thing_. "Oh, uh, hold on…"

"Booth, who's on the phone?" Temperance asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Yeah, hang up already, Seeley," Jared complained, taking another swipe at the frosting before Pops batted his hands away from the cake. "It's time for Tempe to cut the cake."

Feeling incredibly awkward, Booth held the phone out to a surprised-looking Temperance. "It's…Um, it's for you," he said.

Temperance took the phone, looking confused. "Who is it?"

Booth, shooting a quick glance at Pops and Jared, merely nodded his head at the phone, silently urging her to talk into it. He didn't want to cause a scene if this wasn't a happy occasion and she wanted to keep the call private.

She seemed to take the hint, placing the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she spoke into it.

For a moment, she couldn't hear anything.

Then, "Tempe?"

Her breath caught.

It shouldn't be a surprise to her. Not really. He called every year on her birthday, whether she was with a foster family or staying at a group home. She didn't know why he did, why he would want to have even the smallest hint of contact, since he had abandoned her so easily. But with everything that had happened in the past few months, she had been so caught up with her new life that she had almost forgotten about his yearly calls.

That was, until she had heard his voice again.

And, just like every year, she froze up for a few seconds, allowing him to speak. "Tempe, are you there?" he asked anxiously, knowing she wasn't going to answer and knowing he had a very short amount of time to say anything he wanted to say before she hung up on him.

"Tempe…I just wanted to say happy birthday. And I'm sorry. I…" he sighed, not knowing what he could say that would get her to speak to him. "I heard about the cake thing…Are you celebrating your birthday this year?"

Her eyes welled up at his question and the overly bright voice he'd asked it in. He was making it sound like she was the one who had decided not to celebrate her birthday for the past few years, like _she_ was the one who enjoyed feeling unloved and unwanted on a day that was supposed to be special.

It wasn't as though she had been big on celebrating her birthday before, either, but her parents had made up silly little traditions the whole family would adhere to every September 7th. It was nice just to have that – people who cared enough for her to bake a cake for her and take her out to places like a science center or the zoo as a family.

When her entire family had left her, their absence had already made such a huge hole in her heart. To have such a glaring reminder on her birthday…It had been so painful, like pouring salt on gaping wounds.

Russ, who was listening to nothing but silence on the other end, tried his hand at the old game he and his sister used to play. "Marco…?" he called out meekly, hopelessly trying for any kind of response.

The final blow, Temperance jerked the phone away from her ear, angrily pressed the 'talk' button to end the call and slammed the phone down on the kitchen counter.

Booth, who had been watching her the entire time, came forward. Although she didn't acknowledge his presence behind her, she did lean back into him when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Who was that?" Pops asked, looking a little startled by Temperance's mini outburst. The girl was always so calm and collected – the only time Pops had ever seen her angry was when Booth had tried persuading her to do his homework for him.

Temperance, who was now employing the techniques she'd perfected over the years to compartmentalize her emotions, gave Pops a perfect poker face. "It was just a wrong number," she said – and her lie would've been convincing, too, had it not been for how obviously rattled she had been earlier when she'd answered the call.

Jared narrowed his eyes at Temperance. "If it was wrong number, how come Seeley gave you the phone and said it was for you?" he questioned suspiciously.

Booth glared at his brother. "I was just messing with her, okay?" he almost growled. "Now shut up – it's time for cake."

Pops brandished a knife, safely handing it to Temperance. She made to cut it but was stopped by Booth. "Baby, wait," he held her wrist away from the cake. "You can't cut it yet."

"But you just said…"

He nodded. "We have to sing first," he said, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Despite how still incredibly upset she was by Russ' phone call, Temperance chuckled. She'd heard him sing before – the walls in Pops' house really weren't very thick at all and Booth had a tendency to sing almost every day in the shower, belting it out like nobody's business – and she knew for a fact that he wasn't a very good singer.

"Booth…" she laughed, shaking her head.

He ignored her wary tone, urging with a wave of his hand for Pops and Jared to chime in as he started to belt out 'Happy Birthday'.

Jared merely gave Booth an incredulous look, as if to say "You've _got_ to be kidding me. I'm not singing for _anyone_!", and crossed his arms petulantly over his chest.

Pops whipped out the digital camera he'd been snapping pictures of the whole day ever since the birthday breakfast, having claimed that it was important to document this event since it was her birthday in the Booth household.

Booth wasn't deterred, nor was he shy. He belted out the song by himself, as loud as possible.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to Temp-Pe-Rance! Happy Birthday to you!"

But he, apparently, wasn't done yet.

"For she's a jolly good wo-man. For she's a jolly good-"

Laughing heartily now, Temperance placed her hands on either side of his face and brought his head down so she could silence him with her lips.

"Uhm, thanks, Booth," she said, suppressing her laughter as she pulled away. "That was…Interesting."

"Yeah," Jared drawled. "_Please_ never do that again."

Booth grinned, hugging her once more. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose and pressed a soft kiss to her earlobe. "Are you okay, baby?"

Realizing that he'd sung to her – despite the 'promise' she'd forced out of him earlier before she had opened the presents that he wouldn't sing – for the sole purpose of cheering her up.

Touched beyond belief, her arms tightened around his waist. "Yes," she murmured. "Thank you, Booth," she buried her face into his neck, loving the familiar, comforting scent of him.

He pressed kisses to the side of her head, burrowing his nose into her hair, when Jared cleared his throat.

"You know, there are other people in this room," Pops admonished them without any real heat, smiling at them both. He seemed to understand that the call hadn't been a 'wrong number' and that Temperance had been shaken by it.

Jared nodded in agreement with Pops. "Yeah," he backed Pops up. "And we have better things to do than stand here watching the two of you cuddle."

Booth pulled away, sighing. He hated being interrupted when he was all wrapped up in Temperance. "You're twelve," he bit at Jared. "You don't have better things to do at all."

Jared, adamant, stuck his chin up at Booth. "I have homework," he retorted.

Booth snorted. "Yeah, nice comeback," he said sarcastically.

Pops sighed, looking at Temperance as though to say "Can you believe these two?"

Temperance laughed in silent agreement then hushed the two brothers. "I'll just cut the cake now," she said hastily, cutting up the first slice and passing it to Pops.

"Hey!" Booth pouted. "How come Pops gets the first slice…?" he pretended to pout just so she would kiss him again.

As darkness fell, the celebrations came to an end. Booth "helped" Temperance haul her new presents upstairs, even if she steadfastly insisted the whole way up that she was equally capable of such a task.

Once he had gone to take a shower, Temperance closed the door to her room. She wanted to give Amy a ring to thank her for the gift but she didn't want her voice to drift out into the hallway and disturb anyone.

Amy answered on the third ring.

"Amy, it's Temperance," she said excitedly.

"Hey! Temperance! Happy birthday!"

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Amy, you don't have to say it every time we speak to each other today," she shook her head at her friend's silliness. Every time they saw each other in between classes or at lunch time, Amy would blurt out the greeting. It grated on her nerves at school but now only served to amuse her. "My birthday's over, anyway."

"Not yet," Amy sang out. "It's only ten thirty. Your birthday's not over for another hour and a half."

"Well…In any case," Temperance exhaled. "I just wanted to give you a call and thank you for your gift…It was incredibly generous of you, Amy."

"But did you like it?" Amy asked eagerly.

"Yes, I loved it very much."

"Then that's all that matters," Amy insisted. "I'm glad I got it for you. Did you have a fun birthday?"

Temperance sat on the edge of her bed as she proceeded to tell Amy about the surprise little party Booth, Pops and Jared had thrown together for her after school. Their conversation blended from one topic to another and she hadn't even realized how much time had passed until there was a soft knock at her door.

Startled, Temperance turned her head and caught sight of the time on her alarm clock. "Oh, wow! I didn't realize…It's past midnight now. Amy, I've got to go," she said to her friend apologetically.

"Yeah, me too," Amy yawned audibly. "Gotta catch some sleep. See you tomorrow, Temperance! Happy belated birthday!"

Temperance shook her head at Amy's words as she hung up. Standing up, she headed to the door just as another series of soft knocks was heard.

She opened the door, fully expecting to see Pops standing on the other side, to remind her to go to bed since it was past the appropriate time for her to be up and talking on the phone. She was surprised, however, to see it was Booth instead.

"Booth?"

"Shh," he cautioned her, turning to look in the direction of Pops' and Jared's rooms to see if either of them were getting out of their rooms for some reason. "Come on, we're going on a little trip."

She frowned at him. "Now?" she questioned, confused. "It's midnight, Booth."

He nodded, grinning at her. "I know," he whispered. "I have a birthday surprise for you."

Temperance looked taken aback by that. "You already gave me a birthday surprise, remember?" she reminded him. "Earlier on with the party and the gifts…" Trailing off, she stepped closer to him, squinting at his face speculatively. "Are you sleepwalking?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not sleepwalking," he retorted. "That was a family surprise. This is a 'me' surprise."

When she continued to stare at him dubiously, he sighed. "Come on, please?" he urged. "I worked hard on it…Sort of."

She exhaled loudly but acquiesced. "Just…Let me get my coat," she agreed.

He smiled widely, silently clapping his hands together and rubbing his palms against each other. "Excellent," he whispered under his breath. She was back in two seconds, coat slung over one arm as she flipped off the light switch to her room.

Booth reached out, soaking in that loving half-smile of hers as she twined their fingers together. He leaned down, unable to resist giving her a soft kiss. "You'll love this," he promised.

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><p>Please feel free to leave a line.<p>

Juliet.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: **Hart Hanson owns it all.

**A/N:** First of all, can I just really apologize for taking so long with this? I hope I made it up to you with this chapter.

Secondly - **AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT** - this chapter takes it up a notch so I have changed the rating of this entire story. Now, the main reason why I didn't put it as an 'M' rated story in the beginning was because in an 'M' rated story, you'd expect explicit scenes often. It's one of the reasons why you read the story in the first place. I didn't want to put in a lot of explicit scenes. BOF is a FAMILY ORIENTED story, not a racy one. It's for all ages. But then I got stuck because Booth and Temperance are two teenagers, hormonally charged, in love with each other, can't-keep-my-hands-off-of-you, bought-condoms-at-the-store teenagers who are, inevitably, going to have sex. So…It wasn't really possible for me to not change it to an 'M' rating when I didn't want to completely skip out on the scene. Not when there was so much I could do with it, intimacy wise.

Now, I have to warn you, this isn't a hot-and-bothered, 30-euphemisms-for-the-male-genitalia scene and there would never be one here in BOF. I don't use vulgar words or anything, but it's still descriptive enough that **NO KIDDIES BELOW THE AGE OF 16 ARE ALLOWED HERE**. I don't want to hear complains or anything because I have clearly stated this. You can read about the surprise Booth has for Temperance but there will be a line below to inform you where the sex scene starts so please do not read it if you are too young to do so. I will do the same for any future intimate scenes. Thank you very much.

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><p><em>September 8, 1991<em>.

"Are you warm enough?" Booth asked, looking over at Temperance, bundled up with her coat and scarves as she walked next to him.

She nodded. "I'm fine, Booth," she assured him, tightening her hold on his hand as she almost tripped over a log. "Why are we out in the park at night?"

"I thought we could go to our lake for a little bit," he shrugged nonchalantly.

She turned her head towards him, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him. He either didn't catch her look in the dark or was ignoring it.

"What's in the basket?" Temperance asked, nodding towards the basket he was carrying.

"Snacks in case we get hungry."

"And the bag?" she gestured towards the large hiking backpack he was carrying.

He shrugged. "Just…Something that has to do with the surprise," he said evasively.

Temperance let out a half-sigh, half-growl. "I don't like surprises. Booth," she said, trying her very best not to sound like she was whining. "Just tell me what it is!"

"Nope."

"Booth!"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me it!"

"Tell you what?" he teased her, giving her an impish grin.

"Ugh!" she said with a disgusted scowl on her face. She was almost tempted to snatch her hand out of his but he squeezed her fingers gently and leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek. Her petulance melted away a little as she looked up into his dark chocolaty eyes.

He grinned, dropping her hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they reached the lake. The weather was just as he'd hoped for. _Thank you channel 5 weather girl_, he thanked silently. He snuck a quick look up at the sky, smiling, pleased, when he noticed that the sky was incredibly clear, and the stars were visible enough for them to see.

"Did I tell you 'happy birthday', baby?" he asked as he released his hold on her.

"A thousand times," she replied wryly, watching as he took the blanket he had brought along and placed on top of the basket he was carrying, unfolded it and spread it out on the grassy floor. "And need I remind you that it's no longer my birthday? It's past midnight, Booth."

He shrugged once more. "It's not over until the sun rises again," he made up.

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "What? That…Doesn't make any sense at all," she shook her head.

"Sure it does," Booth shrugged off the backpack carefully and placed the bag and the basket down on the ground before producing a rectangular piece of cloth. "Now close your eyes and don't…Kick me anywhere when I blindfold you."

She reared her head back in surprise, clearly not expecting those words, and blinked at him. "Why?" she asked, her tone suspicious.

"Just…Let me do it," he sighed. "I promise I won't take advantage of you," he added with a cheeky grin.

She rolled her eyes at him but allowed him to step behind her and place the cloth gently over her eyes, tying a loose knot at the back of her head.

"I just need you to wear that for a minute," he promised as he stepped away from her and hurried back to the bag he'd laid next to the basket. "I'm just gonna set this up and we'll be good to go."

"Set what up?" she grumbled, not expecting an answer out of him as she crossed her arms over her chest. A part of her, the girly side of her, thought that it was incredibly sweet of him to want to plan a surprise for her, even if she didn't know what it was yet. It made the inner girl in her want to squeal and jump up and down like a crazed Valley Girl. "And go where?"

"Just a figure of speech, Bones," he murmured, shaking his head slightly at her habit of taking everything far too literally.

Booth gently took out the telescope he had borrowed from Kyle, whose dad was an avid fan of astronomy, having not given up on his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut despite having made a career as an actuary.

He placed the telescope on the ground, setting it up the way Kyle's dad had shown him to (and, later, to be sure that he wouldn't forget how, Mr. Malloy had written down the instructions on the back of an old take-out menu).

Booth took out the folded up menu from his back pocket, checking it every two seconds to make sure he wasn't doing this wrong or manhandling it. He wouldn't want it to break. He wasn't sure how much the telescope cost and had no desire to find out.

Finally, sure that the telescope was in place, Booth smiled triumphantly, tucked the menu back into his pocket, made sure the last present he had for Temperance for her 15th birthday was at the top of the things inside the picnic basket and went back to Temperance.

She was still blindfolded and looked torn between being bored and anticipating whatever surprise he might have. He had to laugh slightly at her tensed shoulders, as though she was afraid something was going to jump out from the dark and tackle her.

He placed his hands gently on her forearms, biting back a smile when she jumped. "Are you ready for your surprise?" he asked, feeling nervous himself.

He hoped she liked this present. It was something he'd worked hard on.

He had known she'd enjoyed their time in Galena immensely. For days after, it was all she could talk about. The stars here, in the city, weren't as visible but he had tried this out on clear days like these many times before when he had gotten the idea for her present. Mr. Malloy had assured him it would work even this late in the summer. He'd even taken another look just seconds ago after setting up the telescope.

He knew what he needed her to see was right there up in the sky.

"Unless it's a gun or a sharp knife, yes, I am," she quipped wryly.

He chuckled, rolling his eyes. "What exactly do you think is the surprise here, Bones?" he asked her laughingly. "You know that I'm not a serial killer, right?"

"Well…" she trailed off in a sing-song voice.

Booth pretended to be offended by that, letting out an indignant "Hey!" When her shoulders relaxed and her lips curled up into a wide smile, little chuckles escaping her, he leaned down and pressed his lips against her warm mouth.

While she was distracted, his hands reached around and untied the loose knot he'd made before, undoing the blindfold. She hadn't even noticed, her eyes still shut when he pulled away from their kiss, her cheeks flushed pink.

When she finally opened her eyes, they fluttered a little, and she frowned, startled to find she could see once more. "Booth, wha…?" she trailed off, but he gently grasped her by the shoulders and turned her around in the direction of the telescope.

"A telescope?" she asked, and even though she was confused, she was excited, as well.

She hadn't been able to see the stars for quite some time now, not since California.

There were usually a few smatterings of stars in the sky when she had been at the beach house but her nights were mostly spent inside then, Booth right by her side. She had been far too distracted by him to gaze up at the sky.

She didn't know if she could actually see any stars tonight but it was a sweet gesture on his part, especially with the telescope. She had to wonder where he'd gotten the telescope, though. It looked expensive.

"Yeah," he sounded shy now, and felt a little stupid, really. Maybe she doesn't like it, he thought to himself. It's not like this was a grand thingamabob. "I thought maybe we could just hang here for a while, look at the stars…" he trailed off, definitely feeling silly now.

She surprised him when she smiled, a gentle curve of her lips and a soft look in her eyes. "Thank you," she murmured. "It's perfect." She leaned into his side, reaching up to press a kiss to his cheek.

His eyes lit up, a smile automatically forming on his lips, as he watched her happy expression. He was relieved that she wasn't disappointed and beyond glad that he'd had a part in getting her vivid blue eyes to sparkle the way they were.

"Where did you get the telescope?" Temperance asked as they linked their fingers together and made their way towards said telescope.

He shrugged. "I borrowed it," he answered.

"Borrowed like 'steal'?" she teased when he didn't elaborate.

He rolled his eyes and told her about Kyle's dad and how he'd helped Booth with this little surprise. While Temperance went ahead and stepped to the telescope, bending at the waist to look into it, Booth went to the picnic basket and pulled out the folded up papers he'd stashed on top of the sandwiches and leftover birthday cake.

"Can you see the stars clearly?" he asked her as he unfolded the papers. "It's not too cloudy or anything, is it?"

"No, it's perfect," Temperance assured him, not looking away from the telescope as she answered him.

He smiled, stepping closer to her. "I've got one of those star map thingies," he said, waving the papers in the air when she looked up at him. "Can you help me find one of them?"

Temperance grinned. "Sure," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She leaned into his arm to peer at the paper around him. "Which one?"

"Umm…This one," he pointed at a cluster of stars he knew she loved the most.

Temperance grinned. "That's Delphinus," she informed him confidently, as though she had the alignment of the stars memorized. It frankly wouldn't surprise him if she had. "It's right here," she took his hand in her smaller one and led him closer to the telescope. She bent down first, looking into the telescope and angling it properly so Delphinus was right in sight.

"Hmm," Booth murmured as he bent down to look at the winking stars. "How about this one, right here?" he asked her, pointing to another star close to Delphinus.

She nodded, frowning confusedly. "Sure," she said again. "It's really close to Delphinus. Right next to it, actually. Here," she bent and angled the telescope again, shifting it only slightly. "It's not a part of any constellation. Why would you want to find it?"

This part made him nervous. "Umm…Well…You see…" he took a deep breath. "You can name a star," he blurted out ungracefully.

She raised her eyebrow at him, uncomprehendingly. "What?"

"There's this thing where you can name a star. You know, give it some weird ancient Latin name or…Uh, name it after someone," Booth elaborated, his face turning redder and redder after each word. "I named that star after you."

Her eyes grew wide, going perfectly round in shock, and her jaw went slack, her mouth opening and closing a few times with no sound coming from it. "You…" she trailed off, her voice escaping her.

He nodded, showing her the second piece of paper he held, hidden underneath the first. "There's an official certificate and everything," he held it up for her to see.

Her eyes drifted from the paper to him several times and even though she was still silent, a soft, loving smile was curved onto her lips.

"And, uh," he continued, surprising her. "This one here?" he pointed to the star right next to the newly christened 'Temperance' star. "I named that one, too. It's, umm, it's named 'Christine'. You know, after your mother?"

He almost slapped himself. Like I needed to clarify that. She knows the name of her own mother, Seeley, he chided himself. "I just thought that, you know, dolphins are your thing. You know, both of you. And you both loved Delphinus. And I know you miss her. I mean, I'm sure you miss her always but I know it's harder during special times like your birthday and I just wanted-"

She cut off his ramblings as she threw herself at him, cutting him off as he let out an, "Oof!" Before he knew it, her lips were on his, giving him sweet slow kisses that sent shivers down his spine. His shock dissipated quickly, turning into relief and happiness as he wrapped his arms around her waist, fingers splayed across her back, as he kissed her back enthusiastically. Her kisses slowed in intensity a few times, as though she was about to pull away, but each time he'd groan in the back of his throat in displeasure, and just like that they'd pick right up all over again.

When she finally pulled away, Booth was shocked to see that her eyes were glittery with unshed tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly, and that tender look in his eyes and the way he gently swiped his thumb at the corner of her eye made one tear spill over.

She shook her head slightly, not wanting him to remove his hand from her cheek. "It's nothing," she assured him on a sniffle. She hugged him close and pressed her nose into his chest, taking a whiff of his familiar scent. "It was just…Very sweet of you to do that," she murmured into his neck.

He smiled, dipping his head slightly to bury his nose into her soft hair while his hand ran circuits over her back. He shivered slightly, humming in pleasure, when he felt her press soft kisses on his throat. His hand cupped the back of her head and tilted it gently, tipping her face up to his. Their eyes locked, hers still a beautiful, mysterious misty gray-blue color that he knew only ever appeared whenever she was thinking about her past and missed her family.

Booth smiled, caressing her velvety cheek gently with one finger, watching in fascination as the ivory mixed with rose pink. "I just want you to be happy," he confessed quietly, honestly. Her eyes glittered as she reached up slightly on her toes, leaning in to brush her lips against his. His sweet kisses caused her skin to warm, a much better antidote than her coat for the slight chill in the air.

"Bones?" he murmured against her lips.

"Hmm?" she hummed in the back of her throat, stepping even closer to him so that their fronts were pressed together, and tightening her arms around him, her fingers scratching lightly at the baby hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Don't you want to eat something?" he mumbled between lingering kisses. "I brought birthday cake."

She laughed into his mouth. Food was the last thing on her mind when their lips were fused together. "Um…Nope," she answered mindlessly.

Their conversation ceased as she urged his lips apart and slipped her tongue into his mouth, tangling immediately with his. He moaned a little, his fingers pressing into her hips.

Feeling a little rumble in her stomach, she almost laughed out loud. She had a habit of getting midnight snacks. A habit that Booth was very well aware of as he would often join her in the middle of the night for a glass of milk and some cookies. _I guess I do want some cake after all_, she mused.

She pulled away far too soon for him and he chased after her lips with his mouth, eyes half closed, making her laugh.

"I am a little hungry, though," she said coyly, her eyes sparkling with laughter.

Realizing what she'd done, he scowled at her playfully. "Tease," he said without heat.

Giving her another short kiss – followed by one, two, three more of those before he could actually bring himself to pull away from her warm embrace – he took her hand and led her to the blanket he'd laid down on the ground.

He pulled out everything he'd placed in the basket – the rest of the birthday cake (except for a large slice he'd kept hidden in the fridge for Pops), some sandwiches he'd thrown together and some chips he'd found in the kitchen.

He took out the two glasses he'd placed in the basket and opened the bottle of sparkling cider he'd gotten specially for this midnight trip to their lake.

Temperance grinned, eyes turning a soft blue as she took a glass of cider from him. "You really thought this out, didn't you?" she asked him. "I mean, the bracelet alone was so beautiful then you did something amazing with the stars…"

He shrugged. "It's the first birthday you're spending with me," he stated unnecessarily. "I just wanted it to be special."

She blushed into her glass as she murmured a thank you to him.

He cut her a slice of cake and she made sure to smear some chocolate frosting on his nose when he teased her about her embarrassment when the family had burst into song at the house earlier when they'd brought out the cake.

Once they were done with their snacks, they put their glasses and paper plates aside and laid down on the blanket to look up at the starry sky, partially covered by fog.

"This has been the best birthday I'd had in years, Booth," Temperance murmured, entwining her fingers together and placing them on her stomach. "Thank you for everything you did for me. Not just today, either."

He turned his head to the side to find her looking right back at him. "You know I'd do anything for you," he said sincerely. "I'm glad you're not alone this year, too."

She smiled, untangling her hands and reaching out to cup his cheek lovingly. She loved it when he said things like that to her. The honesty in his voice would always ring prominently when he did.

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><p><strong>PLEASE DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU ARE UNDER 16 YEARS OLD.<strong>

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><p>"Me, too," she murmured as he drew closer, his eyes flickering towards her lips as he did so. She giggled when, instead of kissing her on the lips, he gave her playful Eskimo kisses, his nose rubbing gently against hers.<p>

"Booth," she chuckled happily, her hands settling on the sides of his torso when, in one swift move, he rolled over on top of her, dark eyes glittering down at her. He ran his fingers through her hair gently a few times, smiling when she reached her arms around him and pulled him down to settle his weight on top of her body.

He tilted his head down, his lips fluttering over hers in playful pecks that slowly grew into languid strokes. She moaned low in her throat, arching her back. When her head tilted back in pleasure, Booth pressed a line of kisses from her lips to her chin and down her throat. He stopped at the base of her throat, pausing to suck at the pulse point there and smiling against her soft, sweet-smelling skin when he felt her heartbeat hammering underneath his lips.

Booth's hands slipped underneath her shirt, skimming the smooth skin of her sides and stomach. She let out an embarrassing whimper when his fingers inched higher. He nipped at her lips when her left leg hitched around his hip. His hand slipped behind her back, sliding down her bottom and smoothing down the outside of her thigh.

Despite the chill in the air, it was getting far too warm for the both of them to be wearing more than one layer of clothing. Her hands slipped underneath his jacket, pushing it over her shoulders and down his arms. He tugged at her coat, as well, the task easier when she arched her back, pressing her front to his chest. Tossing the coat somewhere to her right, his lips didn't leave hers for even a fraction of a second.

His hand went to her right leg and hitched it around his hip as well, and she wrapped her legs a little tighter around him, crossing her ankles behind his back. Her hands worked quickly, ridding him of his shirt before he even noticed, and threw it carelessly somewhere over his shoulder. Her fingers raked down his chest, gently scratching the tender flesh. She giggled girlishly when he let out a playful growl.

She did it again and again until he grabbed her hands and gave her a tiny glare. "Stop that," he growled.

Her chuckle died in her throat when he begun unbuttoning the small, silver buttons on the front of her shirt. He gave her short, deep kisses before going lower, leaving lingering kisses on her skin. Reaching her collarbone, he dipped his head and nudged the soft material of her shirt aside with his nose.

Closing her eyes, Temperance tilted her head back and hummed in pleasure at the feel of his lips on her heated skin. Her hand flew to the back of his head, her fingers caressing his hair.

Booth was so caught up with kissing her and feeling her hands roaming over his bare chest and how she was rocking softly against him that he hadn't realized how far they'd gone until the clasp of her bra was undone and his fingers were flicking the straps down her shoulders.

Forcing himself to stop, a shudder going through his body, he groaned and pulled back slightly, breaking their kiss.

He looked down at her, both of them panting hard. She waited a while, until she had relatively managed to catch her breath, before her eyes fluttered open.

A lazy smile spread across her lips as she gazed up at him. She reached one hand up, sliding her fingers up his cheek and into his hair. "Hey," she murmured, her voice slightly huskier than usual. It sent shivers down his spine, hearing that. "Why'd you stop?"

"Well, uh…" his voice was equally soft, shaking slightly due to his nerves. "We, um…" he gestured towards his naked chest and her almost-as-naked one. "I don't…Are we going too far?"

She shook her head just barely, not wanting to disrupt his fingers sliding gently through her hair repeatedly. "No," she answered simply.

Her one word answer made his racing heart double in speed. Her fingers in his hair cupped the back of his head firmly and gently pulled him down to her. His eyes drifted shut when she gave him sweet open-mouthed kisses on his lips. His fingers tightened on her hips, pulling her hips against his as a low groan escaped into her mouth.

He tore his lips from hers with some difficulty, peppering soft kisses on her eyelids, nose and cheeks, loving the little chuckle she let out at his actions before fusing their mouths together again

When he pulled away again to simply look at her face while he caught his breath, he found her gazing up at him, her eyes reflecting that same loving look he was giving her.

Temperance sighed happily. Being wrapped in his arms like that, high on his kisses and his touch, she couldn't help but feel like she was on top of the world. Maybe this was how all people in love felt like. All she could be certain of was that when she was with him like this, she could easily block out the rest of the world – like how the night had gotten slightly colder (as far as her lust-fogged mind was concerned, the goosebumps she was having was because of the way he'd kissed her, his tongue twisting and tangling deliciously with hers) and how they'd been out at the lake for over an hour now and should probably be headed back in case Pops woke up in the middle of the night and noticed that Booth's car wasn't in the driveway.

She rubbed the palms of her hands up and down his chest and shoulders, leaning in slightly to press a kiss to the center of his chest. "Do you love me?" she asked him, her voice serious even if her eyes were sparkling playfully.

"Yes," he answered honestly, without having to pause. Giving her a half grin, he ran his hands down her back and cupped her bottom, pushing her front against his snugly. "Do you want me to prove it to you?"

His question was supposed to be as playful as her question had been, but the answer was something the both of them had been talking about for a while now. Her eyes turned a very serious shade of indigo and her smile slipped into a more contemplative frown as she considered it.

Seeing the pensive look on her face, Booth's smile dropped and he almost choked on his saliva. He hadn't actually meant for her to take his question so seriously. Sure, their talks lately had involved a lot of 'I think maybe soon' and a more physical response, and they had taken the most basic of precautions, mostly at her insistence, but was this the time for 'yeah, let's go for it'?

He didn't know if it was and what he would do if she decided she wanted them to go all the way right then and there. He wanted it – of course he did. She was his girlfriend, he was in love with her and she was _gorgeous_. He supposed he was nervous, when it came right down to it. All the Playboys he'd had couldn't help him one bit.

His breath caught in his throat when, her expression clearing up and a determined look entering her eyes, Temperance's frown turned into a wide, confident smile. "Yes," she answered, and her slightly shaky voice was the only indicative that she was as nervous as he was.

His hand was trembling as he smoothed back a few stray strands of her hair from her face. "Are you sure?" he asked softly, his dark eyes burning into her blue ones with an intensity that almost scared her.

"Yes," she bit her lip, the confidence she felt before wavering slightly. It wasn't that she was having second thoughts. It was just that she was anxious about actually going through with it. All the reading and talking and speculating…Had it really prepared her enough? What if she didn't know what to do? What if he wasn't pleased? Or what if she didn't enjoy it herself? What if it was much too painful? She'd read all about how the first time inevitably hurt, after all.

Ultimately, however, as she looked into his deep brown eyes, Temperance knew that despite all the nerves she had, she was desperately in love with Booth and she did want to be with him that way. She'd been picturing it and dreaming about it for a while now. She didn't want to let her anxiety get in the way of that.

It felt sort of perfect, actually, for them to take the next step right then. Everything had been so great, so perfect, that day. And now with his surprise with the stars and the picnic…She wanted this. She wanted him. Now was the time. It felt right. Once they'd gone through with it, she'd see that all her worries had been for no reason.

Sliding her hands up his smooth chest, she cupped her hands gently on each side of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss as intense as the look he'd been giving her these past few minutes.

"I love you, Booth," she whispered into his mouth.

He smiled, his large hands cupping her face gently. "I love you, too," he murmured. The tender way he told her that, his thumbs brushing her cheekbones softly, made her eyes tear up a little.

"But, you know…If you're not ready…I mean, I don't want us to do this just because we need to prove something to one another," he stuttered his way through an explanation, the tips of his ears burning as he blushed hard.

She was shaking her head before he'd even finished speaking. "It's not because of that," she assured him. "It's because we're in love. And we've been taking a lot of steps. I think we're ready. I mean, _I'm_ ready. I don't know about you but if you are…" she babbled awkwardly.

Looking up into his eyes, however, she knew she had nothing to feel awkward about.

His shy, ear-to-ear smile matched hers.

Temperance arched her back slightly, placing her lips directly next to his ear. "Make love to me, Booth," the plea was whispered into his ear.

Despite the aroused look on his face, Booth's eyes grew soft as he leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her lips. "Okay," he whispered back, his voice trembling. Taking in a deep breath, he skimmed his hands down her spine and brought his hands to her front to trail soft circles on her stomach. "Okay," he said again in a more confident tone.

Slowly, he inched his hands lower. Shaking fingers undid her jean buttons and pulled down the zipper. He pulled down her snug jeans with some difficulty and tossed the denim in a crumpled up ball to the side. Her eyes were wide as his hands gripped onto the hem of her boy shorts and tugged them down as well.

No matter how many times before she'd been naked in his presence, it always made her shy and nervous. Add that to the knowledge that they were going to attempt making love for the first time, her heart was hammering away at thrice its normal speed and her skin from her forehead to the top of her chest was colored red.

And like every other time before that he had seen her naked, Booth paused to just look at her. She was incredibly beautiful, that much he had been sure of the moment he first laid eyes on her. With her lying there with the moonlight streaming down on her body...She looked ethereal.

"You're so gorgeous, Bones," he let out in a hushed, reverent tone.

She blushed harder but she kept her mouth closed. She wouldn't know what to say to that, anyway. She was convinced that he was a little off in the head but every time she said that, he'd scoff and tell her she was blind to her own beauty.

So instead, she gently raked the tips of her fingernails down his chest, smiling when she felt him shudder, his dark eyes flaring almost coal black in lust. She pressed a kiss to his shoulder as she ran her hand over his stomach. When she reached his jeans, she reached down to tug at the zipper of his jeans and push the material down his hips, taking his boxers at the same time.

Booth lifted one hand from Temperance's hips to help her push his jeans and boxers down his legs. They fell around his ankles and he kicked them off with his feet.

Both completely naked, Temperance smiled up at him, shifting slightly on the blanket to find a comfortable spot.

"Comfy?" Booth teased.

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed a reply, her hands splayed on his back pushing gently on his skin to get him closer to her. Lifting her head slightly, she pressed her nose to the center of his chest, inhaling deeply. His familiar smell made her head woozy.

He laughed at the ticklish sensation when she nuzzled her nose against his chest. "You smell good," she told him in an embarrassingly dreamy voice.

"Thanks, I try," he answered, adopting a cocky tone.

She snapped out of her haze enough to smack him on the arm. "Shut up," she muttered, blushing.

Booth ducked his head and pressed his lips to the soft skin beneath her jaw. "Sorry," he murmured against her skin, smiling when he felt her pulse speeding up. "If it makes you feel better, I always think you smell good. Even when you're all sweaty after trying to climb ropes in gym class."

She would've said something sharp in return but his hand had slid down her stomach and between her legs. His lips covered hers just in time to swallow her gasp as his fingers found their way inside of her.

She kissed him back feverishly, her arms sliding around his neck and gripping his head close to hers, until she could feel the edge of oblivion inching closer and closer. Tearing her mouth from his, she threw her head back, gasping, her fingers digging into his back as her head spun.

Booth left a trail of kisses up her stomach and chest, kissing his way up to her ear. "Good?" he asked softly, nipping at her earlobe.

Temperance was still gasping in the aftershocks as she nodded, eyes tightly shut. "Mmm…" was her non-verbal response.

When he finally pulled his fingers out from between her thighs, her legs – which had gone lax in her pleasure – hitched around his hips once more. He had to close his eyes at the feel of soft, warm, wet flesh against him. Her hips were still rocking, creating a delicious sort of friction when they pressed against his hips.

"Bones," he said in a harsh whisper. "Uh…Whoa," his eyes slipped close at the pleasing mix of heat and friction.

She was blindly reaching for something on the ground to her left but he was barely paid any attention. "Oh, wait, wait," she breathed out when she felt him pressed against her thigh, so close to where she wanted him the most.

He opened his eyes slowly to see that she had grabbed his jeans from the ground, dragging it back towards them. His mind was hazy and confused, not grasping what she was up to until she had taken his wallet out of his pants and opened it to pull out the condom he'd placed in there the day he'd gone out to buy a box for them.

"We have to use this," she said, fingers fumbling with the little packet. "Oh…Here, here, you take it," she blushed, handing the aluminum packet to him.

He half-smiled, too nervous to tease her, and gently took the packet from her. Tearing it open, he took out the condom and winced, a little embarrassed, as he put it on for the first time – and in front of the girl of his dreams, too.

Once it was on – and he'd done as she'd requested and made sure that it wouldn't slip off like she feared it would – he crawled back up her body, hovering over her. Her arms went around him as he kept his body suspended over her with his palms flat on the ground on each side of her head.

Their eyes locked on each other, both filled with resolve, Booth nodded once and pushed his hips down and forward.

His eyes widened, both his cheeks flaming red, when he realized that he'd poked at her thigh instead.

Just like that, the unbearable tension in the air that was borne out of their nervousness and fear was broken. Temperance giggled, finding hilarity in his 'miss-poke' and loving how endearing it was when he blushed.

_I've got to make him blush more_, she vowed. _That's just adorable_.

He scowled at her, embarrassment making him less than pleased about the situation. He tried again only to poke higher on the inside of her thigh. When she laughed again, he was not impressed.

"_Bones!_" he growled. To his consternation, she only giggled harder, her eyes slipping shut, her head thrown back as a loud belly laugh slipped from her throat. "This isn't _funny_!" he hissed.

Seeming to realize that he was hurt over her amusement, she stifled her chuckles as best as she could and gave him a half-contrite, half-cajoling look. "Oh, come on, Booth," she said soothingly, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. "It kind of is, don't you think?"

Still offended and mortified, he merely glared down at her. "No," he replied bluntly, defensively.

A small chuckle escaped, making his hard glare sharpen. "Yes, it is," she insisted.

When he didn't seem to catch on to her amusement, she sighed. Leaning in she brushed apologetic kisses all over his chest. "I'm sorry, Booth," she said sincerely. "It's just…It's our first time. I don't expect it to be perfect – and neither should you. We both don't know what we're doing here, Booth," she reminded him. "So there's going to be a few missteps along the way…"

"A _few_!" he asked, his tone a little hurt. "You're expecting me to make _more_ mistakes?"

She ignored that, only pausing to give him an incredulous look that clearly said 'Don't be an idiot. You know I don't.'

"My _point_ is," she stressed, silently telling him she wasn't pleased with the interruption. When he nodded slightly to indicate he was going to stop speaking and let her continue with her words of assurance.

At his nod, she forewent all pretenses of being annoyed at him and gave him a sly, cheeky grin. "Practice makes perfect," she reminded him on a smoky drawl that had him pressing insistently against her thigh once more.

He had to laugh at her feisty attitude – something that was new to him, and her he was sure, yet incredibly alluring. His laugh came out strangled, however, because her legs were wrapped around him, pulling him in closer.

He resisted for a little while, his hand drifting down again.

He knew she was incredibly worried about the pain that came with making love for the first time. She'd told him about the stories she'd read about and heard about from the other girls in school in the locker room and the bathroom. She wasn't all that keen on experiencing that pain – something that these stories seem to make out to be a pretty big deal.

He also knew that it was probably going to be easier on her if they had enough foreplay beforehand. _Guys talk in locker rooms, too_, he thought to himself, wincing as he flashbacked to some pretty crude talk between some of his teammates. Call him crazy but his teammates weren't what he wanted to think about right before having sex for the first time.

_And, hey, some of those articles in the magazines in my shoebox Pops know nothing about helped some, too_. He flinched, thinking about how much trouble he'd be in if Temperance ever found out about them – and that he was thinking of the magazines at this particular moment, even if it was only to help make things easier on her.

Temperance's eyes widened when she felt his hand skimming her tender flesh, before closing her eyes on a moan of pleasure at his probing fingers. Booth watched her with wide eyes, loving this part – it never failed to make him all hot and bothered, but strangely in awe all at the same time, when he watched her like this. It was so intimate, so beautiful.

He leaned down when she arched her back, her teeth biting down on her lower lip almost hard enough to draw blood. He left tiny kisses all over her face and captured her lips in a sweet kiss the moment she released her lower lip from between her teeth, sighing and gasping at the same time.

Sucking on her lower lip, he brought her over the edge two more times before his body decided it couldn't handle not receiving attention of its own any longer.

Almost reluctantly, he pulled his hand out of her, his gaze fixed on her face as he watched her slowly float back down from her high. Once her eyes fluttered open once more, he smiled and gave her a loving, lingering kiss.

Resting his arms on either side of her, he looked into her eyes as he settled his weight between her legs once more. He could see in her clear blue eyes the nervousness she was feeling all over again, but he could also see that she didn't want to back down.

Even so, he had to ask.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded almost immediately. "Yes," her voice was soft but certain.

He took her hand, pressing her palm against his racing heart. "Do you feel that?" he asked her. Suspiciously bright eyes stared unblinkingly into his brown eyes as she nodded. "You make me so happy, Bones."

She beamed up at him, accepting his sweet kiss and even sweeter words.

"I'll be gentle," he promised, knowing she was worried about it hurting. 'It's inevitable,' she'd said to him, but she was still anxious about it.

"Okay," she gave him a reassuring smile. Wanting herself to be distracted – not wanting to take any chances even with the aftershocks of their foreplay still electrifying her veins – she demanded, "Booth, kiss me."

He nodded, tilting his head down and bringing his lips to hers, his hands cradling her face gently. He started out with soft, sweet kisses but they grew deeper, wetter, more passionate, their mouths parting at the same time while their tongues sought each other out, dueling fiercely.

The initial nervousness pushed aside as teenage hormones ran rampant, Booth pulled her flush against him, kissing her heatedly. He reached down with one hand to grasp his member and line himself up against her.

He pulled back just enough, stopped kissing her just long enough, to rasp out, "Okay?"

"Okay," a last confirmation.

Temperance bit her bottom lip, hands clinging to his shoulder blades as he took his time to slowly slide into her.

Booth, on the other hand, was beyond scared that he was going to end up hurting her more than was necessary. _What if I go too deep or something? Is that even possible? Whoa…Dammit…This is…Whoa…_

He sucked in a deep breath at the feel of her soft walls around him. He had never imagined it would feel like this. For a moment, he panicked that she was too little and that he was hurting her but one look at her face proved to him otherwise. She looked to be torn between a look of pleasure and a half wince as she anticipated the pain.

His progress was halted when he felt something stopping him.

Both of their eyes flew to each other, and with a nod from her, Booth bit his lip and pushed through as gently as he could.

Temperance gasped, closing her eyes at the sharp pain she felt. Her fingers dug into the skin of his shoulder blades but Booth didn't pay it any mind. He was aware that she was in pain and he wanted to ask her if she was okay, if she wanted him to pull out, but he was feeling too good. His arms were shaking with the strain he felt forcing himself not to move until she was pain free.

A new fear had developed, along with the ones he already had – she felt far too incredible wrapped around him, and he worried that he was going to reach his peak before she did. That, he had learned from an incredibly crude, descriptive, no-boundaries teammate, was _not_ a good thing.

Reaching one hand out, he brushed her hair aside, exposing the creamy skin of the side of her neck. He ducked his head and pressed his face into her neck. "Bones, Bones, Bones, Bones," he murmured on a loop, his voice coming out in a harsh whisper as he fought against the urge to move his hips and tried his hardest to calm himself down just a tiny bit.

He stayed that way for a few long seconds before turning to press his lips to her skin hungrily to distract himself. The taste of her skin was delicious and familiar and something he couldn't get enough of. He wasn't sure if he was smart or idiotic for making this particular move – it didn't seem to be calming him down any.

He stopped sucking at the soft skin of her neck when he felt her hands caressing his back in gentle strokes. Lifting his head, he looked up to see her smiling slightly at him.

Temperance opened her eyes the moment the pain started to ebb away. It didn't take very long at all – it had disappeared as quickly as it had come – and though she could've gone without the pain or the mild soreness she was now feeling between her legs, she was relieved that that part was over.

She blinked as she saw that Booth had buried his face into her neck, but her laugh was cut short when she felt his lips sucking at the skin. She closed her eyes again momentarily, just to savor the feeling, then ran her hands softly up and down his back.

When he lifted his head to look back at her, she smiled and tried shifting her hips slightly to test it out. It felt a little strange, to be honest, like she was filled to the brim – something she wasn't at all used to. But the pain was gone completely and every time she moved her hips, pleasure shot through her veins, the soreness barely even registering at this point.

Booth, who'd seen her eyes roll back in pleasure when she'd shifted, knew what she meant when she looked at him and nodded her head slightly. He was a little terrified she was still in pain but her face, for once, was an open book to him, letting him know that gratification was all she felt.

He hooked an arm around her back and slid the fingers of his other hand into her soft hair, pulling her in for a deep kiss. He started moving again, slow – so painfully slow at first – before his hips started moving of their own accord, gaining speed.

There was always a tiny little voice in his head reminding him every few thrusts to be gentle with her. It was still her first time, pain or no pain. And it was his first time, too – there was no reason to rush.

But she was making these sexy moans at the back of her throat, her soft, warm body draped all over him, and her head was thrown back in pleasure.

He couldn't blame her, either.

The feeling of their bodies moving and rocking in sync was the most erotic thing he'd ever experienced in his life. His skin was too overheated, and sweat was pouring down his chest and his back.

His body was shaking now, and he could feel himself drawing closer to the edge, only it was much stronger, much more powerful than all the other times before.

He could feel himself already falling and dipped his head to place hot, open mouthed kisses to the tender skin of her chest. He couldn't explain the mixed feelings of pure bliss and extreme embarrassment he felt at not being able to last longer – she had already told him that the first time wouldn't be perfect but it was still a little mortifying. She had just felt so damn good around him. He hadn't been able to help himself.

He was still rocking his hips back and forth, and she was still so very sensitive from his ministrations earlier on that it was easy for her to feel the rising pressure all over again. She let out a loud cry as she fell off the edge, her sweaty arms clinging onto his slick back as she rode it out. It was shorter and less intense than the other times he'd brought her to her peak, but definitely different in a good way and pleasurable in the moment.

The soreness had definitely returned now that the pleasure had faded, and she winced a little at the throbbing.

Booth, feeling the aftershocks slowly fading, pretty much collapsed on top of Temperance, breathing hard as though he'd just run a marathon. He couldn't move for a while after that, his muscles entirely lax, but he did eventually get the motivation to force himself off of her, not wanting to crush her. He pulled out slowly, carefully, wincing at his hand closed around the condom.

_Sex could be messy_, he noted to himself, grimacing even more as he discarded the used condom to the side, wrapping it in a few tissues and making sure to be careful not to spill anything.

When his eyes found Temperance, he had to smile at the silly, goofy look she wore on her face. Her arms were on her sides, elbows bent and hands on either side of her head. She had on a look of complete contentment, a smile from ear to ear and her eyes closed. She was breathing deeply in and out and if it wasn't for her twitching lips, he'd have thought she had fallen asleep.

He didn't want to break the peaceful moment so he merely looked at her, his hand occasionally reaching out to gently run his fingers through her hair.

After a while, though, he noted the goosebumps rising on her skin due to the cool air. He sat up slightly to grab an extra blanket he'd packed just in case things got too cold out, and draped it over their naked bodies.

Settling in beside her again, he noticed that she had plucked a few of the small flowers in the grass surrounding them, and was smiling at the flowers in her hands. He draped an arm around her middle underneath the blanket, thumb brushing back and forth against her hip.

Leaning in, he brushed his nose against the reddish, newly formed hickey on the side of her neck.

Booth laid on his side, propped up by his elbow, his head cupped in the palm of his hand. Temperance was lying on her back, twirling one of the small, purple Phlox flowers between her fingers. He continuously ran his free hand up and down her bare arm, a happy expression on his face as he watched her.

"What are you thinking about, love?" he asked finally, daring to break the silence only by the softest of voice.

Temperance smiled wider at something he didn't quite get. She sucked in a deep breath, raising her arms above her head to rest at the green grass surrounding the soft, thick blanket he'd laid out for them earlier.

She stretched her lithe body, her head turning to the side to look at him. "I'm thinking…That I love it when you call me that," she admitted, her voice just as low.

A surprised expression crossed his features. "'Love'? You like it?" At her nod, he reeled his head back in surprise. "Huh. I'd have thought you'd hate it…You don't like any of the other nicknames I give you."

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Yes, well," she replied dryly. "'Baby' isn't quite in the same league as 'love'…And, frankly, 'sweetie' seems like a much too feminine form of endearment for you to use."

He barked out a laugh, shaking his head. "Duly noted," he remarked, placing his hand on her stomach and letting his fingers smooth over her torso. "I'll make a note – call Bones 'love' more often."

She laughed, turning to her side so that they were face to face, "It gives me the image of the two of us in a Shakespearean era romance…Or, as though you're some English bloke with a sense of 19th century chivalry…It's odd."

He snorted. "Coming from the girl who uses words like 'odd' and 'bloke' and…I dunno, 'henceforth' in daily conversations," he quipped.

Temperance raised her hand, smacking him on the pectoral lightly. "Shut up, Booth," she grumbled, feeling far too blissful to actually be angry with him. "And I don't use 'henceforth' in daily conversations."

"Yes, you do," he argued lightly.

"When?"

"When you were talking about the thing."

"What thing?"

"The thing."

"You're making this up, aren't you?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

He gave her an innocent smile, brown eyes sparkling happily. "Maybe," he sang out.

Temperance laughed, shaking her head. She snuggled in closer to him, flowers discarded on the grass, wrapping her arms around him and resting her cheek against his heart. "Do we have to head back soon?"

"Probably," he agreed in a contented voice that matched hers, though he made no move to get up. "We'll just stay here for a little while…"

"Mmm…" Temperance hummed, giggling softly as she felt his hands tickling her back. "I like that plan."

They laid wrapped in each other's arms, their bare legs sliding against one another's under the blanket he had pulled up over them.

It was only when she had started to doze off did she realize that they had better get back home before they were too tired to drive or – worse – before they accidentally slept naked at the lake. As secluded as the lake was, it was still part of a public park and the last time she checked, public nudity was an offense. She was pretty sure that being thrown in jail for being caught naked with her boyfriend wasn't an experience she wanted to live through.

"Booth," she murmured quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking him gently. "We'd better get up and go home."

He let out a groan but didn't reply or move to get up.

"Booth, I'm serious," she said, her statement less strict when she giggled as she felt his hand sliding down her back and smoothing down her bare bottom. "Booth!" she laughed, slapping his shoulder a little less gently than she would've had he not squeezed her bottom with his hand. "Come on, let's go. I don't want us to get caught."

She shifted to get up, then winced a little. She hadn't realized how sore she was and the pain that had seemed to disappear before had come back a little.

Booth, who had opened his eyes at her gasp, threw her a concerned look. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, reaching out to stroke his fingers up and down her back.

"Mmm, yeah," she answered unconvincingly. "I'm just…A little sore."

He looked positively horrified. "Oh…God. I'm sorry, Bones," he pressed soft, apologetic kisses along her shoulder. "I, uh…What can I do? Is it…Is it bad? I'm really sorry."

She giggled slightly at his panic. "Booth, really," she shook her head. "Don't get all self-deprecating. I'm supposed to be sore the first time. Remember?"

Magazine articles aside, she had heard Jenna Lebowski, a girl who was a grade above her, talking to some of her friends in the bathroom. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop but she had been in the bathroom stall and was afraid that if she went out while they were still there, Jenna would think she was deliberately listening in. Jenna had told her friends that the first time she'd had sex with her senior boyfriend, it had hurt a lot and she was sore for a day after but the second time hadn't hurt at all – apparently Dax Winters had a lot of experience and knew how to pleasure a woman greatly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, long dark lashes sweeping his cheeks as he blinked at her worriedly.

She nodded. "I'm sure," she assured him. "It's not terrible or anything. It's just uncomfortable. I'll be fine."

She reached out to cup his cheek tenderly and gave him a kiss thank you for caring so much about her. They both stood up and begun putting their clothes back on before working together to pack up their things.

Just before following him to leave the lake, Temperance's eyes fell on the purple Phlox flowers she'd played with earlier. Biting her lip, she bent and impulsively snatched one off the ground, wanting some physical reminder of the most wonderful night she'd had with Booth.

She kept the flower hidden in her closed fist, smiling secretively, as Booth called out her name.

"Bones? Come on, let's go!" he called, holding his hand out for her to take.

She quickened her pace and twined her fingers with him the moment she reached him, her lips mirroring the happy grin he wore.

* * *

><p>Thank you so much all of you for reading and reviewing.<p>

Juliet.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hansons owns it all.

**A/N:** Just a small warning to the younger ones reading this: there is a very small section in the middle of this chapter involving a sort of mature scene. I have placed a warning label at the very beginning of this scene to inform you of it, and another label at the end of this scene to inform you where you can begin to read again. Please **do not** read the scene if you are not old enough, but feel free to read the rest of the chapter.

Thank you so much for bearing with me.

* * *

><p><em>September 8, 1991<em>.

"You slept like a log this morning," Pops commented as Booth shuffled into the kitchen, yawning and scratching his pajama-clad belly. "Couldn't wake you up for breakfast. You kept moaning and tossing and turning, muttering something about stars and purple flowers."

Booth blushed and refused to look Pops in the eye while Temperance choked a little on the water she'd just taken a sip of. "There's no more coffee?" he asked, glancing at the coffee pot.

Pops raised an eyebrow at him. "Boy, it's twelve thirty in the afternoon," he groused. "Make your own damn coffee."

Booth rolled his eyes but complied – he was still far too sluggish to go without any coffee.

They'd gotten home sometime after three in the morning and the drive back home had woken him up some since dozing off at the lake. He'd changed into his sleep clothes and laid in bed, trying to get some sleep, but his mind had been too alert by then. He kept thinking back to the lake, disbelief that he had actually made love with Temperance Brennan.

The water had turned on in the communal bathroom just minutes after that and he knew that it was Temperance in the shower because he could smell the sweet scent of her shampoo and body wash from his room right next door to the bathroom. The thought of 'Oh, God, I just had sex for the first time', accompanied by 'The girl I love is in the shower two feet away from me, totally naked' wasn't conducive to a good night's sleep.

It had taken him over an hour after she'd gotten out of the shower to get the image of her with water sluicing down her naked body in the shower and the scent of her shampoo and body wash out of his mind. It had taken him another hour after that to calm down enough to fall asleep.

"There's no more birthday cake," Jared complained, glaring at his brother. "I wanted some for breakfast."

Temperance, having recovered from her shock, told him matter-of-factly, "That's highly unhealthy."

Jared glared at her, snatched his soccer ball from the floor and told Pops, "I'm gonna go to the park with my friends."

"Don't be out too late!" Pops called. As soon as they heard the front door slam, Pops grinned at Booth and Temperance, "Thanks for leaving me a slice."

Temperance blushed and stuttered – she had never been good at telling lies.

Booth shrugged. "Bones and I wanted a midnight snack," he said apologetically. "I'm sorry, Pops."

Pops waved his hand. "Nah," he said. "I got more than enough leftover cupcakes to last me through the day. It's Jared who's still sulking."

While Booth poured himself a cup of freshly brewed coffee, Pops asked, "Are the two of you ready for school tomorrow?"

Booth groaned, rolling his eyes when Temperance's face lit up with an excited smile at the mention of school. He tried not to look too flustered at how beautiful she looked smiling like that. "Don't remind me," he grumbled, shaking his head. "Felt like summer just flew by."

He sighed. "I wish we have more time," he admitted. "Senior year's gonna be hell."

Temperance shrugged, "I'm looking forward to it."

"Of course you are," Booth muttered wryly.

She shot him a look. "Even if you aren't particularly thrilled to start classes again," she said, knowing that she would be fielding more than a handful of rants and complains from him about how teachers were being unfair and how tests were rigged. "Aren't you at least excited to see your friends again?"

Booth swallowed a mouthful of scalding hot coffee, grimacing. "Yeah, I guess," he mumbled, not meeting her eyes.

Truth be told, he had absolutely no idea if he was excited to see them. Things had been rocky with his school mates ever since he'd dumped Katie and 'taken Temperance's side'. Months later and it still felt as though they were on two different sides of the fence.

They'd had to buckle down and really work together during practice since they only had a little while left to go before their first game of the season but it had taken quite some time before they'd all managed to find a good rhythm, putting everything personal aside to come together as a team of athletes determined to get to the championships and win one final big game together before their days as high school basketball players were over and their days as stressed, almost suicidal seniors began.

Even so, his friendship with them wasn't the same as it was before. He'd been able to overlook their shallowness before, when it hadn't affected anyone he loved so cruelly. Their straight out refusal to accept Temperance or, at the very least, treat her better than garbage infuriated him to no end.

Frankly, he couldn't care less if he mended his friendship with them. Not unless they realized how wrong they were and apologized to Temperance.

"What about you, little lady?" Pops asked Temperance, sensing his grandson needed a change of topic if his ducking around avoiding Temperance's penetrating gaze was any indication. "You all set?"

Temperance grinned. "Yes, I am," she nodded excitedly. "I'm going out with Amy later today to get some school supplies."

Booth's head jerked up at that.

He hadn't known she was heading out. Of course, it wasn't like he had simply _assumed_ that she would be spending all her free time with him now. He'd just thought that maybe they would be spending time together since last night had been so…Monumental.

Silly, since he wasn't sure what he wanted to say to her. Asides from wanting to ask her if she was okay enough for a repeat of last night…He was still pretty much speechless. Catching himself almost immediately, he silently chided himself, remembering her wince from yesterday. _Don't be an idiot, Seeley_, he scolded himself. _What if she's still sore or something?_

Immediately, his attention refocused on the present and his eyes found Temperance, smiling as she chatted with Pops. He wondered if she was still sore. She didn't look like she felt any sort of pain but he wouldn't be satisfied until he asked her himself.

Suddenly, he was craving alone time with Temperance for a whole new reason.

"…But I've already got my school bag packed and everything," Temperance was saying to Pops. "The school mailed over our class schedules a few days ago. I'm so excited, particularly for my AP Sciences classes."

"You're going out?" the words blurted out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Temperance's head snapped her head around to him. Surprise flitting across her face, she blinked at him. "Um…Yes?" she shook her head when her answer sounded more like a question. Clearing her throat, she tried again, "I mean, yes. I am."

"Oh," the disappointment was clear in his voice even though he tried his best to hide it.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, studying him. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Nothing," he said a little too quickly. She raised an eyebrow at him, disbelief written all over her face. He relented, "I just thought maybe we could go out today. You know, last day of the summer?"

To hide his embarrassed blush, he ducked his head and practically buried his nose in his coffee mug.

Her eyes were wide as she contemplated his words. "Oh!" she sounded surprised. "That sounds really nice…" she sounded undecided now.

Pops, realizing that the two might need some time alone, stood up from his chair, stretching loudly as he went. "I'm gonna go sit out on the porch for a while," he said, grabbing his newspaper and the glass of OJ he was drinking. "It's still a little balmy outside. Won't be long before it gets too cold to sit out."

He went out the kitchen door, muttering something about maybe calling over Mrs. Bink if she was free.

Once Pops was out of hearing distance, Temperance gave Booth a shy look from underneath her lashes, her cheeks blooming pink as they inched closer to one another.

"Hi," she murmured shyly as his arms went around her waist, drawing her close to him.

He smiled, feeling a little better that he wasn't the only one nervous when around each other. "Hi," he replied softly, dipping his head to nuzzle his nose against her cheek. "Is it weird that I missed you?"

She shook her head, "Not at all. I've missed you, too." She wrapped her arms tightly around his torso and buried her blushing face into his chest. "It is a really nice idea to spend the day together."

"Yeah," he sighed. "But it's okay. You've made plans. We'll just spend time later."

She lifted her head to look at him in the eyes. "It's just that I made plans with Amy last night on the phone," she said apologetically. "I never thought that…" she trailed off, not needing to finish her sentence. Last night was vivid in both their minds.

He shook his head. "I know," he assured her. "It's really okay."

"I, uh, I could cancel with Amy…?" she suggested hesitantly. He could tell that she wasn't at all happy with ditching her first female friend. Amy had been very kind to Temperance, he knew that much, when no one else at school was.

He smiled. "You need to get school supplies," he reminded her, brushing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

"You could come with me!" she smiled excitedly. "You need supplies, too."

"Whoa, whoa," he chuckled. "_My_ idea of 'school supplies' include three pens and a notepad with Scooby on the cover. _Your_ idea of getting school supplies involve four and a half hours in the stationery shop, meticulously going through each and every one of their products. I can't handle that. You should go with Amy."

She scowled at him playfully, smacking his arm. "Hey!" she protested. "I don't spend four and a half hours looking for school supplies."

He snorted. "Once you yelled at me because I got you the wrong kind of highlighter," he reminded her.

She blushed. "Whatever, Booth," she muttered. Quickly changing the subject, she asked, "So…Do you want to go somewhere after I come back?"

He nodded. "That would be good," his arms crisscrossed at her back as he hugged her slim figure close, his hands ending up cupping her hips. "I don't know where we'll go, though."

"We don't have to go anywhere fancy," she assured him. "I was thinking maybe we could get dinner out…Then maybe a trip to the lake one last time before school reopens?"

His eyes widened at the suggestive tone of her voice and the meaningful look in her eyes. "Oh, uh, sure," he stumbled over his words. "Are you sure you're…I mean, not that I just assumed we're gonna…But _if_ we were, um, I mean, is it…Are you…?" he stuttered almost incoherently until she chuckled, leaning up slightly on her toes to press her lips to his.

His eyes slipped shut the moment her lips collided sweetly with his. Her hands dragged to his front, fingers gripping his shirt tightly as their kiss deepened.

His own hands were slowly dragging lower down her back, reaching to cup her bottom, when they heard a distinct cough.

Jumping apart quickly as though they'd been burned, they looked towards the door to see Pops striding in. Though he wasn't looking at the teens, he had a tiny smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. "I ran out of OJ," he said by way of explanation, his eyes still averted from Booth and Temperance as he made his way towards the fridge, waving his glass in the air slightly to show that it was empty.

Booth and Temperance stared at Pops' back for a long moment as their guardian opened the fridge door and took out the bottle of OJ. Their eyes drifted back to each other almost simultaneously and taking in the way they looked – chests heaving, faces so red they were almost purple, eyes bugging out and jaws dropped – they both had to stifle their laughter.

"And _I_," Temperance said, exhaling loudly and shaking her head at how carried away they'd been mere seconds ago. "Am going to be late meeting Amy if I don't leave now."

Booth wanted to protest. He hadn't known she was leaving right away. If he'd known, he'd have insisted on finding some hidden corner in the house and make out for a good twenty minutes before she left.

But Pops was in the room and there was no way in hell was he going to suggest such a thing to his girlfriend with his grandfather within hearing distance.

So, instead, he relished the soft kiss she pressed to his cheek, his eyes closing when her lips lingered on his skin, breathing in her pretty, feminine smell. "I'll see you later," he whispered when she finally pulled away, reaching out to squeeze her hand before she stepped back.

"Yeah," she nodded, flashing him a warm smile. "Bye, Pops," she waved as she left through the kitchen door.

Pops nodded at her, smiling and reminding her to be safe outside.

Booth, not wanting to stick around for longer in case Pops might sense something, muttered some excuse and headed upstairs to his room with a fresh mug of coffee.

* * *

><p>Despite wanting to prove Booth wrong about her inability to keep her trip to the stationery store short, Temperance had also wanted to make sure she got the right things for school even more. She and Amy spent most of their afternoon at the store, and made another short trip to the mall for 'last minute back-to-school outfit additions', according to fashion-obsessed Amy.<p>

She would've stayed out longer and have dinner with Amy but she'd made plans with Booth already. Besides, she missed him despite having seen him mere hours ago. She wanted to spend some time with him, too. Going out together was their only chance at having some alone time now that they lived in such close quarters with Pops and Jared again.

To avoid Amy's suspicions, Temperance simply said that she had promised Pops to be home for dinner earlier and couldn't back out of her promise. She was pretty sure Amy suspected her enthusiasm to head home had nothing to do with Pops and everything to do with Booth if her knowing smile was anything to go by.

"The two of you heading out?" Pops asked as Booth and Temperance headed down the stairs, both dressed for dinner.

Booth nodded. "It's okay if we go, right?" he asked, even though he'd already run the idea by Pops and gotten permission to go earlier in the day before heading out to shoot some hoops with his friends.

Pops nodded, gesturing towards his own clothes. "I'm headed out, too," he explained. "I'm going to Mrs. Bink's for dinner. She gave me an open invitation and I thought tonight was a good night to take her up on it – the both of you are eating out and Jared's sleeping over at his friend, Mickey's."

All three of them went out the front door together. As Booth opened Temperance's car door for her while she finished putting on her jacket, Pops gave them one last reminder, "Don't be out too late, ya hear me? Tomorrow's your first day back and I don't want you being all sluggish, Shrimp."

Booth looked mildly offended. "Why _me_? Bones could be just as sluggish," he protested.

Temperance glared at him as she slipped inside the car and Pops snorted in amusement. "No, she couldn't," he said confidently, knowing the young girl's zest for school as well as Booth did.

Booth scowled. "Fine," he muttered, not actually angry at either of them. "We'll be back by midnight."

Pops raised an eyebrow.

"Eleven thirty," Booth relented.

Pops stared, eyebrow still raised, unblinking.

"Eleven – and that's my last offer," Booth warned.

Pops rolled his eyes. "See ya later, kids," he waved, headed down the pavement to make his way to Mrs. Bink's house across the street.

They went back to Sammy's pizza parlor for dinner. Sally and Johnny greeted them in their usual colorful manner.

Their food delivered, Booth and Temperance dug in, silence prominent the first few minutes as they tucked into their dinner.

Taking a break from chewing, Temperance took a sip of her water and looked across the table at Booth who was alternating between munching on his fries and taking another forkful of the apple pie she knew was the first of many for the night.

"So it's going to be your birthday soon," she said bluntly, causing him to choke a little on a ketchup-covered fry. She took the opportunity to steal a couple of fries from his plate.

It took a while for him to stop coughing. Downing half his coke to get rid of the lump of food stuck in his throat, Booth raised an eyebrow at her. "My birthday's not 'til November, Bones," he corrected.

She nodded. "I know," she assured him.

He frowned confusedly at her. "Then why are you bringing it up now?" he asked, bewildered. "It's only September."

She shrugged, blushing. "I just…I wanted to know if you're going to celebrate it," she replied, not meeting his curious gaze. "You, Jared and Pops were very enthusiastic celebrating my birthday. I just wondered."

"Oh," his expression cleared a little. "Well, yeah. Pops always makes sure we celebrate. He says it's important to celebrate birthdays, you know, cuz time flies by so fast and sometimes you need to take a step back, breathe a little, just relax and have a good time. What better time to do that than on your birthday?"

Temperance grinned. That sounded just like the sort of thing Pops would say. "That's nice," she said earnestly. "Are you…Going to have a party? Or celebrate it just with family like we did with my birthday?"

"Family," he answered without hesitation. He wasn't big on having large birthday bashes. The attention made him a little uncomfortable. Besides, he didn't want to burden Pops with the trying responsibility of having a house filled with teenagers in the mood for partying. It didn't even matter, anyway. He knew his school friends wouldn't think it was a good party unless there's booze and there was no way Pops would allow alcohol in the house.

Wincing as he received a nasty flashback of his drunken father sprawled on the couch at their old house, Booth grimaced, thinking, _It's a good thing, too. I don't want any of that stuff near me – or Temperance_.

His eyes drifting back to her, he frowned as he thought of his father's sick addiction and the horrifying consequences. Growing up, the abuse had just been a part of life for Booth. He knew it wasn't right and that not everyone had a home life like he did but he didn't bother with the 'whys' and 'hows'.

Now that he had Temperance – this incredible, beautiful, brilliant girl who loved him as much as he loved her – he couldn't imagine ever laying a hand on her. The thought of anyone harming her made his blood boil and the thought that _he_ would be the one to hurt her made him want to keel over and puke until there was nothing left in his stomach.

"So what do you guys usually do for your birthday?" Temperance asked, adopting a nonchalant tone. "I mean, do you just have a birthday dinner and presents or is there some sort of family tradition?"

It was a perfectly understandable question. If there was anyone who valued family and traditions, it was Booth and Pops. The two of them were pretty firm when it came to things like that.

Jared was a little less enthusiastic about traditions but that was probably because he was younger and wasn't all that interested or didn't understand the significance.

Booth and Pops, however, stuck to every tradition – ones that were widely followed by almost everyone and ones that were started in the family. Pops was particularly fond of the ones started by his late wife. Those were the traditions he wouldn't let up on, even if it was meant as a silly thing when Marietta was alive.

"No traditions," he shrugged. "Not really. I mean, we just do the normal things, you know? Birthday breakfast followed by family party and dinner. Aunt Lydia and Deb always try to make it, too. Sometimes they can't get off of work or something so they just send presents. We went out for dinner once or twice but we usually have a homemade dinner."

This is telling me nothing, Temperance thought, frustrated. "Okay, so…_This_ year," she prompted him.

He raised an eyebrow, staring at her confusedly.

A few long moments of him just staring at her and she gave in, sighing. "I just wanted to know what you want for a present," she admitted grudgingly.

Booth laughed, shaking his head. "You would _not_ do well as a cop," he teased her. "Instead of cracking suspects, _they'd_ be cracking _you_."

Temperance glared at him and contemplated throwing the French fry she was holding at him. She paused, dipped it in ketchup and popped it into her mouth instead.

"I don't need anything, Bones," he assured her once he stopped laughing. Reaching his hand across the table, he grasped her smaller one with his fingers and gave it a squeeze. "I'm good with everything I've got."

"_You_ gave _me_ something," she pointed out, unable to stop a small pout from forming on her lips.

He nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, I did," he admitted. "But I don't need you to get me anything, Bones. I don't want you to feel like you should get me a present because I got you one."

She shook her head, her thumb swiping little circles on the back of his hand. "It's not that," she half-lied. "Like you said – this is our first time spending birthdays together. It's your first birthday we're having together. I just wanted to get you something special."

Booth gazed at her, his dark chocolate eyes loving as he smiled at her. He rose from his seat slightly to lean across the table and give her lips a soft kiss. "You're adorable," he murmured, lingering so close to her that their lips brushed as he spoke. He gave her another sweet kiss before settling back in his seat.

Temperance mock glared at him. She might've been able to fight the smile threatening to show but her blush was inevitable. "I most certainly am _not_, Booth," she scowled at him playfully.

He chuckled, going back to his meal.

Temperance snuck shy looks at Booth throughout their dinner and she barely paid any attention to the movie they went to afterwards. Even though Booth had assured her that he didn't need anything from her for his birthday, she would feel horrible if she didn't get him a gift.

Now came the hard part – figuring out a good enough present to give to him, and saving up enough cash to buy it for him.

It wasn't like she had plenty of cash to throw around and she didn't want to get him something cheap, either. She knew the Claddagh bracelet he'd given her hadn't been easy to pay for, even if he wouldn't admit to it. And he had even gone beyond that to get her that amazing starry surprise…

More than that, though, she wanted to get him something meaningful. She wanted him to love his present, not just pretend to like it for her sake.

Admittedly, she had never been the best gift giver. She'd get stuck on ideas, panic about it when birthdays were just around the corner and finally plead for her mother to help her look for a gift. Ever since her parents disappeared and Russ took off, Temperance hadn't needed to get anyone a birthday gift. She was even more out of touch than before.

_What do teenage boys want for birthday presents, anyway?_ Temperance mused to herself.

She gasped, jumping in her seat when a loud noise blared from the screen ahead of them. Blinking a few times, heart racing, she glanced up at the movie she was supposed to be watching. It was already more than halfway through – she had no chance of catching up now. She went back to making a mental list of possible presents.

As the credits rolled and people started rising from their seats, Temperance made a decision. She wasn't going to flake out for Booth's birthday. She couldn't be a lousy girlfriend when he had been nothing but the perfect boyfriend.

"So," Booth broached nervously as their entwined hands swung back and forth between their bodies. "It's only ten. We've got an hour to kill…Where do you wanna go next?"

Temperance smiled abashedly, blushing, as she peered sideways at him. "We could go to the lake like we said this morning…?" she suggested shyly.

He nodded, his eyes meeting hers for a moment before he quickly turned away, his face burning. "Okay," he nodded his head. "If that's what you really want…"

She rolled her eyes, shooting him an amused look. "Oh, let's not just go for my benefit. I wouldn't want you to do anything you don't want to," she drawled wryly.

"I can sacrifice my time for you," he joked.

"Oh, no, no, I wouldn't want you to get bored or anything," she teased back. "We can do something else."

"No, really…"

"How about we go get some frozen yogurt?"

"Tempting, but…"

"Or walk around a little? Enjoy some fresh air?"

"Plenty of that at the lake…"

"Maybe we could just head home, watch some TV-" her words were cut off when Booth released her hand and wrapped his arms around her, picking her up and swinging her around on the spot. She broke off into blissful laughter, her arms going around his neck as she held on tight.

He placed her back down on her feet but kept his hold on her waist, pulling her in close to him. "I think we'll go to the lake," he said firmly, playfully peppering kisses on her cheeks, nose and lips. "You got a problem with that?"

"Nope," she chuckled, allowing herself to melt into his body, snuggling her cheek against his throat.

"Good," Booth smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. They stayed like that for a few moments before simultaneously stepping away from each other. Their hands clasped together once more, they made their way to Booth's parked car, both smiling from ear to ear.

When he parked his car at the park, Booth made sure to remember to take out the blanket he'd decided to keep there in case there were any more trips to the lake in their future.

Temperance smiled as she sat in between Booth's legs, leaning back against him. She smiled, closing her eyes when his arms wrapped around her waist and he nuzzled his nose into the side of her neck.

A few long moments passed before she decided to break the silence. "Are you worried about your friends?" she asked him quietly.

"My friends?" he asked, lifting his head from where he had been pressing kisses on the side of her neck. He gave her a confused look.

She nodded. "This morning you didn't seem excited at all to go to school," she reminded him.

"Bones, some people just don't enjoy school the way you do," he said lightly. At her less than impressed expression, he sighed, "Listen, whatever goes on between me and my buddies, I don't want you to worry about it."

"But…" she started to protest.

Booth shook his head, cutting her off with a swift kiss. "I'm a big boy, baby," he said gently. "I can handle it. Besides…I'm not even bothered by them anymore."

She gazed into his big browns, knowing that despite her social awkwardness, his eyes had always been a pretty easy thing for her to read. Sensing only the truth from him, she nodded. "Okay," she nodded. "But if you need me to, I'll kick their asses for you. I'm getting very good at karate."

He threw his head back and laughed. As impossible as it would be – his teammates were pretty strong athletes twice her size – he entertained her. "That would be so hot," he told her, his eyes glinting as she turned her head to look at him, laughing along with him.

"Really?" she asked, turning around in her seat to straddle him instead.

Booth smiled, their gazes locked. He kept an arm around her waist while he ran his fingers through her long hair. "Uh-huh," he murmured in reply, their foreheads pressed together.

Temperance gently brushed her fingers against his cheek, her loving smile made him want her even more. She leaned in and gave him a short, sweet kiss. He didn't get enough and pulled her in for more. Temperance laughed when he leaned back until his back hit the ground, taking her with him.

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS PARTICULAR SECTION IF YOU ARE UNDER 16 YEARS OLD.<strong>

* * *

><p>"Wanna neck with me?" he asked her, grinning wolfishly.<p>

"Neck?" she asked, blinking confusedly at him.

"Uh-huh," he murmured. Knowing she didn't understand what it meant, he elaborated, "You know, make out. Maybe hit second base."

She chuckled when he rolled them around so that she was pinned underneath him, their bodies lines together as his body pressed down gently on top of hers.

He was practically mauling her mouth with his. He knew he had to stop and slow down a little but he couldn't help it. She was pressed up so deliciously against him and all he wanted to do was relive the night before.

She didn't mind his hungry kisses one bit, returning them eagerly as her hands tugged at his coat lapels. Her eagerness only spurned his own, and their busy hands made quick work of their coats and shirts, leaving them both bare chested and necking pretty heavily.

"Mmm, whoa," Booth muttered, pulling away slightly when he felt her fingers pulling down the zipper on his jeans. "Bones…"

She blinked a few times at him, her mind still foggy from his kisses. "Mm? What is it?" she asked, frowning at the expression on his face. It was a strange look between lust and control.

"Are you…Are we…I mean, can you…?"

She stared at him, her brows furrowed. "I didn't understand any of that," she admitted.

He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I just…If we, you know, if we get naked then I'm gonna wanna, _you know_…" he flushed beet red. "I mean, I didn't come here tonight with you to…do _that_. You know? I didn't expect it or anything. I just thought we could hang out for a bit outside the house. But if we start taking off our clothes, then last night comes to mind and I'd want..."

"Sex?" she offered helpfully when he couldn't form the words.

He shot her a look, wondering for the millionth time how he could be so shy even mentioning something relating to sex and she could voice it so casually. "Yes," he hissed quietly, as though embarrassed someone might hear them even though they were completely alone.

"And that's a problem? Wanting sex?" she asked, still not getting the problem. "I mean, I want it, too."

He looked surprised by that. "Isn't it too soon?" he blurted out.

She raised an eyebrow. "Too soon?"

He nodded. "I mean, it was your first time last night…" he looked distinctly mortified.

She stared at him, almost amused. "Yes, it was," she agreed. "It was yours as well."

He shrugged slightly. "_I_ wasn't the one who felt any kind of pain," he pointed out.

Suddenly understanding, Temperance's confused expression cleared. "Is _that_ what this is about?" she asked, trying to tamp down her smile. Despite how silly it might seem to her, it was quite endearing of him to have been so worried for her. "You're scared I'm still sore?"

He nodded, unable to look her in the eyes.

She laughed, shaking her head. Reaching up, she pressed a kiss to his scowling lips, smiling when she felt them turn up in response. "You're sweet," she murmured against his velvet lips. "But I'm fine now."

He looked dubious. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm very sure," she assured him.

She was surprised, actually, at how little it hurt considering all the 'horror stories' she had heard beforehand. During their first time together itself, she had anticipated a bigger pain but it had only stung briefly. When she had taken a shower afterwards, she'd noticed a slight trace of blood but it was gone by the next morning. She was sore, admittedly, most of the day earlier but she felt mostly fine now.

With a devious smirk sent his way – her nerves hidden splendidly well, if she said so herself – she popped his jean buttons and finished pulling down his zipper. His hand curled around him and that was all it took for him to get on board, his concerns pushed aside and his lust renewed.

Their clothes scattered around them haphazardly, Booth reached for his wallet and pulled out the new packet of condom he'd placed in there that morning.

Panting, Temperance grinned and threw him a knowing look. "So you weren't expecting us to make love, huh?" she smoothed her hands down his shoulders and rubbed her palms up and down his chest.

He blushed. "Well, it's better to be safe than sorry," he muttered. At her disbelieving stare, he added defensively, "I just wanted to be prepared, you know? Wasn't that _your_ idea in the first place?"

She chuckled, wrapping her arms around his neck and stroking the hair at the back of his head. She pulled him down for a heated kiss, her mouth open and her tongue swiping at his bottom lip and nudging his lips apart. The moment he parted his lips to her, she was sucking his tongue into her mouth, the urgency back in their feverish movements as their bodies came together for a second time.

* * *

><p><strong>END OF 16 YEARS AND ABOVE ONLY SECTION. PLEASE PROCEED WITH THIS CHAPTER.<strong>

* * *

><p><em>September 9, 1991<em>.

Temperance woke up at four thirty two in the morning. Despite hers and Booth's late night last night – they had stayed out longer than she thought they would; like she had told Booth, she was no longer in pain and it wasn't even uncomfortable for her when they came together again – she found herself to be energized and ready to go.

Much like the morning in the house before she'd gone to school for the first time with Pops as her guardian, she couldn't get back to sleep no matter how hard she tried.

Quietly tip-toeing out of bed, she slipped out of her room and into Booth's. He was snoring into his pillow, the gravelly sound making her smile. She made her way to his bed, lifted the covers and slipped in behind him. She snuggled close to him, wrapping her arm around his waist and pressing her cheek to his bare back.

She couldn't make herself fall back asleep, even when surrounded by everything Booth, so she merely closed her eyes and tried to relax. Her eyes kept fluttering open every few minutes to check on the time on his alarm clock.

At six o'clock, she decided to get up. Booth had rolled over onto his back by then, though he was still fast asleep. Temperance smiled as she crawled up her body, snuggling to his front and pressing kisses onto his chest.

Giving him one last kiss on the cheek, she quietly slipped out of bed and made her way back into her room. She showered, changed into her 'first day back in school' clothes that she'd spent three hours choosing, checked and rechecked her school bag to make sure she wasn't missing anything important like her new schedule or the yellow highlighters, and looked to the clock to find that it was only six thirty.

Sighing, she rolled her eyes and made her way downstairs. After catching the second half of a documentary on recently extinct creatures on the Discovery Channel, Temperance went into the kitchen to find something healthy to make for breakfast.

Booth stumbled down the stairs ten minutes before they were supposed to leave for school, bleary eyed and needing coffee badly, to find Temperance and Pops sitting at the kitchen isle. Temperance was sipping OJ while Pops was halfway through a large stack of pancakes while they conversed.

"I woke up late," he told them unnecessarily, his voice thick and heavy with sleep.

Temperance looked up. "No, you didn't," she assured him.

He blinked at her. "We have ten minutes," he pointed out. Even their lack of time left couldn't force him to move faster.

He caught a glimpse of a sly smile before she continued sipping her drink, hiding her mouth from view. "No, we have thirty," she corrected him, pointing to the clock on the kitchen wall.

This woke him up. His head snapped around to the clock on the kitchen wall. His eyes widened. "But my alarm clock…"

She shrugged. "Yeah, I snuck into your room and changed the time," she said unapologetically, smiling at his shocked expression.

"_Bones_!" he gasped in mock outrage. "That's so _sneaky_ of you!"

She laughed, sliding off her stool to put his plate of eggs, bacon sausages and waffles in the microwave to heat. "I knew you wouldn't be able to wake up on time easily after an entire summer of waking up at noon," she explained as she moved. "I just didn't want us to be late – especially on the first day."

"You mean you didn't want you to be late," he corrected sarcastically, groaning as he sunk down in the seat next to Pops. "I couldn't care less."

Temperance glared as she placed his preferred mug in front of him and poured him some coffee from the fresh batch she'd made after sharing the last pot with Pops. "Do you know what happens to people when they're late on their first day?"

"Uh…The day is shorter?" he guessed.

"For the rest of the year, they're labeled 'The Late Girl'," Temperance said, her voice growing higher in pitch with each word.

Booth placed his elbow on the counter, resting the side of his head on his curled fist. "Wow," he blinked. "You are paranoid and dramatic all rolled into one."

Temperance scowled at him. Hearing the microwave beep, she took his newly heated breakfast and placed it in front of him with a clang. "Just eat," she snapped. "We need to get there ten minutes before the bell rings."

He choked a little on his waffles. "What! Why!" he was pretty sure he whined.

"We have new lockers now," she reminded him. "I need to find where it is, make sure the combination works, find the closest routes to my classes from there. Not to mention our classes are in different rooms now, too."

She looked like she was about to have a panic attack. Booth shook his head, reaching across the table to take her hand. "Bones, breathe," he instructed. "Relax, okay? You're making this out to be more stressful than it actually is. It's gonna go great."

It took her a while but by the time Jared came downstairs, she was her usual collected self again.

While Jared snoozed in the backseat and Booth babbled about basketball practice and the big game coming up as he drove, Temperance studied her new schedule religiously. She had a few extra classes on some days and almost all her classes were AP.

Reaching into Booth's bag, she pulled out his schedule – carefully placed in the new file she'd bought him yesterday so he wouldn't keep losing important papers or crinkling them – and compared it with hers. "We have three classes together," she frowned. "World History, AP Biology and AP English."

Booth grimaced. His grades had improved greatly since she'd started tutoring him and, he had to admit, he understood all that science mumbo-jumbo better with her help, but that did _not _mean that he wanted to torture himself with harder science questions.

"Yeah," he mumbled unenthusiastically. "Awesome."

She didn't seem to catch his tone as she continued comparing their schedules. Sighing, she said, "I hope I can still be a part of the debate team this year. My time-table is so full…"

He shot her a look. "Why do you want to be a part of the debate team?" he asked, sounding confused.

She shrugged. "It's good to have these things for a college resume," she answered instantly. "I wonder if I have time to check when debate team meetings are before class…"

She didn't. After locating her locker – which they were pleasantly surprised to learn was only three lockers down from Booth's – she was adamant that they locate their classes next so neither would have to amble around aimlessly between classes and end up being late.

When the first bell rang, they went their separate ways to go to their respective first period classes. Temperance was so focused on making sure she didn't miss anything her first day back that she didn't notice the disdainful glares some of the other students threw her way. She almost didn't even notice Amy sitting next to her during second period Trig until her friend tapped her on the shoulder and greeted her aloud.

Booth, on the other hand, was very well aware of his friends when he entered first period Chemistry. Jonathan Daniels, who was on the team with him, greeted him with a wary look, a nod and a, "Hey, man."

"Hey," Booth replied, keeping his tone neutral. He had gone for practice every day they had it for the summer, only missing practice when he'd gone to California with his family for a few weeks. He'd continued going for practice after returning, so it wasn't as though he hadn't seen John for a long time.

He sunk down at a lab bench in the middle of the class, shoving his backpack on the countertop and laying his head down on top of it to catch some sleep before the teacher started talking. To his dismay, however, John came up to the bench and sat down next to him.

"You know, we barely talk anymore," John said, a horrible ice-breaker. "I mean, we saw each other all summer but we never said a word to one another."

Booth shrugged. "What's there to say?" he asked bluntly, staring at John blankly.

John shook his head. "You're losing it all 'cuz of a chick?" he asked incredulously.

"She's not just any chick, John," Booth growled out. "She's-" he cut himself off, reminding himself that it probably _wasn't_ the best idea to blurt out that Temperance was the girl he was in love with in the middle of a crowded classroom.

"She's family to me," he said instead, knowing this was the truth. He did consider her as though she was family, just not in a sisterly way. It was more of a 'I want us to have a good life and grow up and get married someday' sort of way.

John didn't need to know that.

John sighed. "Look, man, I'm sorry, alright?" he said. "I didn't know that. Hell, _you_ barely even knew her back then. She was just your nerdy tutor. You were being a total ass to Katie and you were barely paying any attention in practice."

"That's bull and you know it," Booth retorted. "I was focused during practice. I never wavered. And what happened between me and Katie is none of your business. And maybe it's for the best that you and the guys were being total jackasses. I don't want Temperance around you idiots."

John glared at Booth. "Hey, man," he protested.

Booth held up his hand. "Look, we don't have to be friends, okay? We just have to be good teammates until the big game is over," he turned back to face the front.

John sat there staring at him for a few long moments. Booth didn't acknowledge his presence or his stare. Finally, John shook his head, scoffing, and moved to stand up.

Unfortunately, at this exact moment, the teacher at the front of the class turned around to face the class. "Settle down, everyone," she called out primly. "My name is Mrs. Matthews and I am your Chemistry teacher for the year. Now, please, take a good look around. Find the closest available seat. If you're already seated, good – that is where you will be required to sit for the rest of the school year."

Booth's head snapped up at this. Both he and John turned to look at each other, shock on their faces.

A few people in the classroom were already complaining, raising their hands and asking out loud if they could switch.

Mrs. Matthews seemed to have no patience for this. Holding up a hand, she called out strictly, "No exceptions! Where you're sitting now if where you'll be sitting for the rest of the school semester. Now, let's go over some ground rules you must follow while you're in my lab!"

Booth was more than a little frustrated by the time he met up with Temperance outside their World History class. "Hey," she greeted him with a bright smile. He had to physically stop himself from bending down and pressing a kiss to her lips. "How were your first two classes?"

"Chem. was horrible and I really hate Spanish," he exhaled loudly. "I don't like school, Bones. It's awful. All this learning they expect us to do…It's un-American."

She rolled her eyes. "Aren't you being a tad dramatic?" she lifted an eyebrow.

He scowled. "I have John for my Chemistry partner," he informed her.

She winced in sympathy. "Ooh…" she patted his arm reassuringly. "I'm sorry, Booth." She paused for a moment before saying, "You do realize if you have any chances of passing that class, you're going to have to do all the work yourself, right?"

He groaned, following her into the classroom.

He was looking forward to spending the next forty-five minutes being slightly less frustrated in Temperance's presence, but unfortunately, their World History teacher Mr. Binns had other ideas. He had an assigned seating chart for the class and they spent the first five minutes of the class with the students standing in line at the front while Mr. Binns called their names out one by one and pointed them to their seats.

Booth ended up sitting next to Cam Saroyan while Temperance was a few rows down, sitting next to Becky Conway. _Well, at least it's next to someone I like_, Booth thought to himself, watching morosely as Temperance made her way to the other side of the room, both she and Becky glaring at each other.

"Hey, Seeley," Cam greeted him with a wide smile.

"Hey, Camille," he replied easily, a silent, friendly reminder not to use his first name.

She laughed, tucking a lock of her long hair behind her ear. "So how've you been?" she asked as she slid into her seat. "Good summer?"

The first image that came to mind was his father's fist swinging his way.

The second was Temperance, throwing her head back and laughing as he tackled her on the beach after playing some volleyball. Recent memories of their time together at the lake flashed in the forefront of his mind, as well, and an involuntary smile spread across his lips. "It was incredible," he answered honestly.

"Wow," Cam raised her eyebrows at him. "I wish _I_ had a summer to smile about."

"Oh?" Booth asked. "I thought you went on vacation with your family?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we went to British Columbia to ski," she told him. "But you know my sisters…Most of the trip involved a lot of screaming and fighting. It wasn't pleasant at all."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

"What about you?" she asked. "Any trips?"

"Yeah, we went to California," he said with a smile. "My aunts live there. We went to visit them. You should've seen Bones at volleyball. She learns fast and she's pretty fierce when she plays…It was hilarious watching her tackling people left and right. Kept telling her there was no tackling in volleyball, but…" he trailed off, laughing at the memory of her being confused over the rules of the game.

Cam, who had been nodding and smiling at Booth's words, froze at the mention of Temperance. "She went with you?" she did her best to hide her surprise.

Even though she knew Temperance was living with Booth and his family, she also knew that she was only the foster child they took in. She'd have thought they'd made other plans for her while they went on a family vacation. From what she understood, Temperance hadn't stayed with them for long.

Booth nodded, frowning confusedly. "Of course she did," he said, as though the alternative was unthinkable. "Why?"

Cam quickly shook her head. "Oh – nothing," she said hurriedly.

Their conversation ended there as their teacher begun their first lesson of the year. Booth was pretty much falling asleep as Mr. Binns droned on about rules in the classroom, tests and pop quizzes and what they could expect for the semester.

The moment class ended, Booth sprang up from his seat. "Ugh, thank God," he muttered, grabbing his bag and marching towards Temperance's desk. "You ready to go?" he asked, noticing that she was sharing glares with the girl sitting next to her.

Temperance nodded, standing up as she packed up her things. "Can we make a stop at the bulletins?" she asked Booth. "I want to check-"

"The debate team meetings?" he nodded. "Yeah, let's go. But let's not take too long, okay? I'm starving."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Booth, I made you breakfast for two this morning," she reminded him. "You ate all of it."

He shrugged, "I'm a growing boy, Bones. I need my food." Noticing that her book bag looked heavier than it had this morning and seeing the books she was going to carry by hand, he shook his head and took her bag from her, slinging the strap over his shoulder. "Whoa, what do you have in here?" he asked when he noticed how heavy it was.

She shrugged. "The books I needed for some of my AP classes came in," she explained. "I had study hall for second period so I went to get them."

He shook his head. "You've got a problem, Bones," he told her playfully. "You should join Learner's Anonymous."

They passed by Cam on the way out of the classroom. She was standing next to Donna Simmons, talking about cheerleading tryouts. Cam was obviously trying not to look at them as they passed so Booth gave her a friendly smile.

"You wanna sit with me and Bones, Cam?" he asked, draping one arm around Temperance's shoulders.

Cam's eyes drifted towards Booth's arm around Temperance before she and Donna shared a look. "Oh, uh, no thanks, Seeley," she smiled tightly. "I'm already sitting with Donna and the girls."

Donna nudged Cam discreetly, giving her a meaningful glance. Remembering their discussion just before Booth and Temperance walked by – where Donna had told her about her theory on Booth and Temperance's not-so-platonic relationship – Cam blurted out, "But rain check? Tomorrow?"

Booth nodded. "Sure, we'll see you then," he threw her a quick grin before walking away with Temperance.

Cam frowned as she noticed his attention was completely riveted on Temperance. "Yeah, see ya," she said quietly, her gaze fixed on them until they were out of their sight.

By the end of the day, Temperance had signed up for debate team and Mathletes for reasons Booth could never understand even if he tried. Booth had managed to avoid most of his old friends and his ex Katie – he'd heard through the grapevine that she had gotten a new boyfriend, Tucker Jones, the center on his team, but he still didn't want to run into her given the way things ended between them.

Booth had another basketball practice after classes ended for the day and Temperance went for her first ever Mathletes meeting.

"Mathletes end at four-thirty," Temperance told Booth as he walked her towards the classroom they'd be meeting in.

Booth barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. _She couldn't have joined the drama club or glee club or something?_ Booth thought to herself. _This is like the math version of chess_. "Practice doesn't end until six," he said apologetically.

She nodded. "That's okay," she assured him. "I've got some work to do so I'll just go to the school library after Mathletes."

He wasn't even going to ask _how_ she had any work to do when it was only their first day back in school.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Booth leaned down to kiss her, completely forgetting where they were. Wide-eyed, Temperance turned her head so that his lips landed on her cheek instead. "Bones…Wha…?" He blinked, seeming to realize that they were in school and probably shouldn't be kissing each other. "Oh," he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "It's okay," she curled her fingers around his hand discreetly. "We've had a whole summer of not needing to hide our relationship. It'll take some time for us to get used to not showing any affections for each other during the day again."

He scoffed. "Yeah, that sounds like a _great_ thing to get used to," he said sarcastically.

She laughed. "I'll see you at six?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah," he looked around them to find the hallway completely empty. Giving her an impish grin, he leaned down and stole a quick kiss from her. "I'll see you later, babe," he whispered before jogging away quickly.

Throwing a look over his shoulder, he saw the scowl on her lips. Even with the distance between them, he could tell she was only pretending to be upset, the twinkle in her eyes letting him know she was pleased they had even that small amount of intimacy to tide them over until they went home.

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><p>Please feel free to leave a line or two to tell me how you liked this chapter.<p>

Thank you so much to everyone who had read and reviewed the last chapter.

Juliet.


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns it all.

**A/N:** There are brief mentions of making love in the very beginning of this chapter but nothing graphic AT ALL so I didn't put the warning. Trust me, it's barely there so I think you younger ones are safe. I hope…Hmm.

* * *

><p>September 20, 1991.<p>

Temperance and Booth had been back in school for two weeks and Pops was even more certain now than ever that Lydia's worries about the two teenagers getting too physical in their relationship too soon was unfounded. The two of them barely had enough time for school, extracurricular activities and homework, let alone time to find places to be together in private.

Booth was very much absorbed with basketball practice, what with their big game coming up just a few months away. Temperance, on the other hand, was swamped with the debate team, the Mathletes and all the extra load she had due to the college prep courses she was taking on.

The two of them spent most of their time at school, both busy with their last year in high school even though it had only been two weeks since senior year began. Their time at home was monopolized by homework – teachers apparently thought it was appropriate to bombard students with huge amounts of homework to prepare them for the SATS they would be sitting for in a few months – and any extra time they had left was spent with the two of them conked out, exhausted.

Their lack of time to spend together was why Pops felt they deserved to go out when they finally managed to get some free time. He had practically pushed them out the door to go on their date, knowing that they had missed each other (because being in the same vicinity as each other wasn't the same as actually getting to spend time with one another), and waved away Temperance's apologies that they were missing out on yet another family meal.

"Don't be ridiculous," Pops scoffed as Temperance apologized. "You two need to relax for a few hours. I've never seen two teenagers as exhausted as you two, and it's only the second week of school. Go out, have fun, then come back and start worrying about school all over again."

While Pops was secure in his belief that Temperance and Booth had employed the best form of contraception – abstinence – Temperance and Booth, on the other hand, were getting frustrated after a whole week of keeping their hands off each other.

Their first week back at school had been relatively relaxed and they'd managed to sneak out to their lake a few times in the week, either lying to Pops about having to stay back in school for something or the other, or tell him they were going out on a date or sneaking out to the lake after everyone was asleep.

Neither one of them were particularly fond of lying – Booth had his Catholic guilt and Temperance was just terrible at it – but now that they had newfound 'insight' into how amazing lovemaking could be, they found that every time they were alone with each other, they couldn't keep their hands off each other or their clothes _on_ each other.

Their lust for each other seemed to ignite when they were within fifteen feet of each other and when they found themselves completely alone, their passion seemed to explode. They would scramble to find some time together, their minds and judgment clouded, until their hormones had settled somewhat and their lust sated for the moment. _Then_ the guilt of lying and sneaking around would set in.

Their second week of school, however, had been busier than either one of them anticipated. As a result, they hadn't had a chance to spend any alone time together.

This was why when they finally had a free night on Friday, they jumped at the chance.

They had practically foregone dinner, going straight to their lake instead. They'd had the mind to get some take-out from the diner, knowing they'd be ravenous later on, but they hadn't stayed longer than necessary and had all but raced to the lake the moment the food was in their hands and paid for.

Booth was a little reluctant considering the park still had people walking about. It wasn't like it was midnight like it usually was when they went to the lake. He was worried someone might go to the lake and catch them in the act.

But her hands had been desperately tugging at his clothes and exploring his body and her mouth had been hot against his skin as she left open mouthed kisses all over him. He had been helpless to resist.

They'd spent hours satiating their physical needs, taking little breaks in between to replenish themselves before falling into each other's arms once more, said needs having been ignored for what felt like an unbearable amount of time considering how they had just given in to their primal desires and discovered how good it felt to do so.

Finally, bodies slicked with sweat and trembling from aftershocks of ecstasy, chests heaving as they panted, and eyes just refocusing to their surroundings, Booth and Temperance felt the roaring fire cool slightly, allowing them to take a break from their near constant lovemaking since they'd arrived.

Booth nuzzled his nose into her hair, taking deep, even breaths as he took in her scent. It was different after they'd made love; he'd noticed this right after their first time. It was her scent and his scent mixed together, but pleasantly mustier. He figured it was the smell of sex, something he'd fallen in love with instantly.

He couldn't get enough of it and could only count his lucky stars that she hadn't noticed his bizarre, seemingly unbreakable habit of sniffing her after they'd 'become one' together. He knew it was odd but the smell was sort of intoxicating to him…

Booth smiled at the beautiful girl lying beneath him. Her porcelain cheeks were flushed pink and her eyes were the darkest shade of blue yet. "Are you okay?" he murmured, reaching out to tuck a curl behind her ear.

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed in reply, slowly catching her breath. "I don't have a lot of experience but I think we're getting better at this."

His lips curved into a roguish smirk as his hand smoothed down her belly and up her sides, thumbs brushing at her soft curves gently. "Definitely better," he murmured, lowering his head to draw her earlobe into his mouth, sucking gently.

She moaned in the back of her throat, arching her back almost completely off the ground to press her front against his. She was only just surrendering to his warm mouth and his wandering hands when a tiny beeping noise startled them, sounding much louder than it was in the still of the night.

"What the _hell_ is that?" Booth huffed out, growling in protest when she placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away.

His sexy growl made her giggle as though she was a lovesick schoolgirl. _Then again, that's exactly what I am_, Temperance reminded herself, chuckling at herself. "That's my watch," she told him.

"And why is it beeping?" he sounded disgruntled.

"I set an alarm for us," she ignored his question. "I didn't want us to be late going home."

Booth groaned. "Awh…Bones," he protested. "We've been out here later before."

"Yes, when we snuck out after everyone was asleep," she pointed out. "Pops told us we need to be home in twenty minutes. I don't want to be grounded or anything."

He sighed, flopping down on his back when she pushed him off of her to grab at her clothes strewn all around them. "As if Pops would ground _you_," he scoffed. "The man loves you. I'm convinced he likes you better than he likes me and Jared combined."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Booth," she told him, though he could see that she was slightly pleased and flattered by the idea. "Even if he does like me, if I were to disobey him, I'm pretty sure I'd be punished for it."

"You'd think," he continued trying to sway her into staying for longer. "How about we do one of those experiment thingies you like so much? See if he really would ground you if you stayed out later than he allows?"

"Uh…No, thank you," she replied wryly. "I'd rather not."

He sighed again. "Fine," he muttered, a little disappointed it didn't work.

"We need to find another place we can be together," Temperance huffed as she sat up on the blanket laid out on the ground.

Booth frowned at her as he watched her. "I thought you loved coming out here," he gestured towards the lake, darkened by nightfall.

"I do," she admitted. "It's very beautiful and it holds great sentimental value for us, as you know. But we can't sneak out here every time we want to make love, Booth."

"I don't see why not," he protested.

Ignoring him, she continued, "Besides, lest we forget, this is a public place. We're not actually allowed to get naked here. One of these days, we might get caught."

"Bite your tongue!" he gasped playfully.

Temperance shot him a look and rolled her eyes as she fastened the clasp of her bra and shrugged her shirt back on. Booth, still naked other than the boxers he'd pulled on a few moments ago, patted the spot next to him once she was done getting dressed. Sighing, she pretended to be exasperated as she lay back down next to him. She shifted onto her side, facing him.

He smiled at her, his stomach muscles quivering when she reached out and pressed her warm hand to his chest, her fingers smoothing up and down his bare torso. He propped himself up by his elbow, head cradled in his palm, gazing down into her big baby blues.

Running his fingers through her silken hair repeatedly, he admitted, "I feel like we'd been apart for a whole week."

She frowned at him. "We _weren't_ apart for a whole week," she corrected him matter-of-factly. "Of course, we don't take all the same classes and we have different after school activities but we live together and ride in the same car and…"

"Bones," he interrupted her, chuckling just the same as amused fondness flared in his chest.

She nodded, inching closer to him to rest her head on his toned arm – she found that his defined biceps made very good pillows. "I know what you mean, though," she added in a soft voice.

He leaned in closer, pressing his lips to her forehead, lingering on her sweet-smelling skin. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she murmured, turning her head slightly to press a kiss to his muscled arm. "I'm sorry I've been so busy – all the extra courses I've been taking, not to mention our Mathletes team is hoping to make it to state championship…"

He had to snort a little at that. It was still funny to him, no matter how many times she said it or how many times she berated him for making fun of her Mathletes team. When she glared up at him, he gave her a sheepish look and said defensively, "Aw, _come on_! It's _Mathletes_!"

She didn't respond verbally, choosing instead to smack him in the chest – hard.

"My point is," she glared. "I was just wishing we had someplace closer to the house to be together."

He nodded, sighing. "I know," he murmured.

Pops was pretty tight with the rules. They couldn't even be in the same room if the door was closed. He'd thought about sneaking into her room at night when Pops and Jared were asleep but the walls weren't very thick and he was afraid they'd be heard.

_After all, Temperance is _very_ vocal_…he leered, eyeing her lithe form hungrily.

Without any preamble, Booth rolled her onto her back and climbed over her, the swift action making her let out a little shriek of surprise. She laughed, that husky, throaty laugh that he loved so much, her arms wrapped around his torso and her hands running up and down his back as he ducked his head and buried his nose in the side of her neck.

"You know we've got to head back home, right?" she asked lazily, her eyes fluttering close as he nuzzled her neck.

Booth hummed an, "Mmhm," even as he pressed kisses up and down the column of her neck.

Temperance's hand drifted up to the back of his head, her fingers running through his hair and her nails lightly scraping his scalp as his lips latched onto the skin at her pulse point and sucked. It wasn't until his hands started inching up her shirt that she realized how far they were getting.

"Mm, Booth," she protested half-heartedly. "I'm serious. We're already ten minutes past the time we told Pops we'd be home…" she said, even as her hands slipped into his boxers.

His eyes rolled into the back of his head and his mind went blank for a few long moments at the feel of her nimble hands on his skin. When he grasped a tiny hold of his bearings once more, he threw her a roguish grin. "We've got time," he insisted before leaning down to capture her lips in a heated kiss.

They didn't leave their little oasis until almost an hour later. Both heartily satisfied but both dreading a lecture from Pops about sticking to their curfew, they warily stepped out of Booth's car only to be surprised to find Pops walking up the driveway, happily whistling away.

"Pops, you just got back?" Booth asked, surprised. Pops hadn't gone a day without complaining about how old he was getting and how he needed more sleep to rest his aching joints. He was usually fast asleep by now.

Pops eyed the two of them speculatively, even as the large smile on his face never wavered. "I could ask you the same thing," he shot back.

Temperance blushed heavily while Booth cleared his throat and stuttered out an explanation that he knew Pops wouldn't buy, "We, uh, got stuck at the…Traffic and there was a hold-up and…_Stuff_."

Pops rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh," he drawled disbelievingly. "I'd ground you but you do nothing but go to school, do your homework and go to sleep."

Temperance was still blushing when they reached the front porch. She gasped at the sight before them.

There, on the top porch step, was a small cream colored kitten with dark gray stripes all over its body. It was wide awake, staring up at them with wide, glassy blue eyes.

"Aw…" Temperance cooed, reaching down to pick the kitten up.

Booth stopped her before she could, one arm flung in front of her. She turned her head to find him looking down at the kitten with a scowl on his face. "Don't touch it, Bones!" he admonished.

She glared at him. She cocked her hip to the side and raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't tell me you're not an animal lover?" she pursed her lips.

Booth gave her a look. "Why? Would that be a deal breaker?" he asked her teasingly.

Without so much as cracking a smile, she deadpanned, "Yes."

He started, giving her a double take, before noticing the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "That's cold, Bones," he remarked, causing her to laugh. "I just meant that it's a stray. You don't know where it's been."

"He's a little baby," she pointed out.

"What if it scratches you?"

"He's shivering, the poor thing."

"It could give you rabies or something."

She glared at him. "I'm picking him up, Booth," she stated firmly. "He could be starving or something."

Temperance shoved his arm away none too gently, bent forward and scooped up the tiny kitten. She felt like letting out a girly 'aww…' when the kitten immediately burrowed close, seeking warmth from her coat and body.

Pops, seeing the look of utter adoration on Temperance's face, grinned knowingly. He smirked even more when he saw the disgust on Booth's face. He knew his grandson had never been a fan of cats, let alone stray ones – it had all boiled down to a very bad experience with felines when he was a young boy. To this day, Booth still clammed up whenever that particular day came up.

Remembering his late wife's absolute love for animals – she was always taking in stray cuddly cats and dogs from the pound that she was saddened to learn no one else wanted – Pops couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart as he stared at the tiny kitten cradled in Temperance's arms. Ten years ago and he would be looking at his own wife with her arms wrapped around the fluffy ball of fur.

"Do you want to bring the little kitty in?" Pops asked Temperance, prompted by his fond reminiscence of his wife. He couldn't help reveling in Booth's outraged gasp. _The joys of being a grandfather_, he thought happily, watching as Booth started shaking his head back and forth as though this would somehow influence Temperance's decision.

Temperance, in the meantime, glanced up, her entire face lighting up. "Really!" she asked him excitedly.

Pops nodded. "Just for the night," he warned. Booth sighed in relief. "If you decide you want to keep him for longer, he's gonna be your responsibility." Booth tensed up all over again.

Temperance grinned, feeling a little giddy. She had never been able to have a real pet as a child because her mother had been allergic to fur. She'd had several goldfishes but that was the extent of her pet history. She had made a vow to herself as a child to have tons of animals in her house when she was grown and able to afford their expenses.

_Maybe I could start with one_, she mused.

After making absolutely sure that Pops would be okay with the kitten staying with them – and ignoring a protesting, grimacing, scowling Booth the whole time – Temperance followed Booth and Pops into the house, cradling the kitten close to her chest.

"I'm going to find something for Birdie to eat," she said as soon as she had stepped through the threshold.

Booth gave her an incredulous look. "_Birdie_!"

She shot him a look. "He's going to need a name, Booth," she pointed out logically.

"He's been here for all of two seconds!"

She ignored that, brushing past him to get to the kitchen. "Could you go get Birdie a towel?" she asked Booth. "Just take one of mine. His fur is all wet and he's shaking from the cold…"

He wanted to protest, and made it to, "But…" before she turned her head and gave him a glare over her shoulder. Booth sighed. "Yes, dear," he muttered, only half-joking.

Pops stifled his laughter as he watched Booth trudge towards the stairs. He shook his head at Booth and Temperance's bizarre relationship. If it weren't for how young they were, he'd have thought they'd been married twenty years.

When Booth came back down the stairs, towel in hand, he found Temperance in the kitchen. She was crouched next to the refrigerator, Birdie at her feet. She had filled up a plastic container with water and another with torn up pieces of chicken. Birdie was happily lapping at the water, his tail flicking right and left.

"Here," he said, dropping down to his knees next to her and handing her the blue towel he'd swiped from the linen closet. It was one of his.

She might be frustratingly obstinate about keeping 'Birdie' – who was probably ridden with disease, in his opinion – but that didn't mean he was going to let her get herself infected with whatever the stray had. So the cat was going to use his towel instead. At least _he_ was going to burn it then throw it out. He knew Temperance would just wash it and then use it for herself again.

She beamed at him for a millisecond before turning back to look at Birdie who was now tentatively pawing at a piece of chicken. "Isn't he _adorable_?" Temperance gushed, her eyes suspiciously glassy.

Booth grimaced. "Uhh…Sure," he muttered. He watched as she reached out to stroke Birdie's wet fur. "Bones…Uh, you sure you wanna do this?" he asked her tentatively. "We're barely home as it is. A pet is a lot of responsibility, especially something like a cat. It's not like fish, you know? You can't just leave it in the fishbowl all day and do nothing but sprinkle fish food in every morning."

She scowled at him. "I know that," she replied defensively. "It's just…" she sighed, trailing off.

"You've always wanted a pet," he nodded understandingly. He remembered her telling the story about her mother's allergy that had devastated her when she was younger and desperately wanted a cuddly pet of her own.

At her confused expression, he reminded her, "You told me about it. Remember? We were still at the beach house…"

Temperance's eyes widened. "You remembered that?"

He gazed at her somewhat shyly from underneath his absurdly long, dark lashes. "I remember everything about you," he admitted quietly.

She blushed at his words – and at the sincerity in his voice.

Clearing her throat, she started over. "I know it's a lot of responsibility to take on," she admitted grudgingly. "Especially now when I'm so busy with school. But I really think I can do this, Booth."

He eyed her bright eyes and happy smile for a long time before sighing. "You really want to keep it, huh?"

"I really do."

He nodded, his resolve solidifying. "Then I'll help you," he promised her.

"Really?" her eyes lit up.

He nodded once more. "Yeah," he shrugged. "You might need help sometimes with Birdie."

She smiled. That was the first time he'd called her new furry friend by his name instead of just saying 'it'.

"You can count on me to be there if you need me," he assured her.

Overcome with emotion at his gesture, she leaned in closer to press a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, Booth," she murmured, looking up shyly into his gorgeous brown eyes.

He smiled at her, stroking her hair gently. "Anything for ya, Bones," he said sincerely. "Now how about I scrounge up something for us to eat?" he raised an eyebrow. "I'm starved."

She threw him a look. "We ate dinner," she reminded him.

"Hours ago," he dismissed. "Besides…You wore me out, remember?"

A sly grin spread across her face. "Oh, I remember," she drawled huskily, her fingers tugging at his belt loop.

He shook his head, laughing at the devious glint in her eyes. "You're kinda scary," he told her. "Anyone ever told you that?"

She rolled her eyes, her mock glare softening when he leaned in, cupped her face in his hands and gave her an Eskimo kiss.

She smiled, watching him as he stood up and headed for the fridge, before turning her attention back to Birdie. She noticed that a few pieces of chicken were missing from the plate and beamed, pleased that he'd eaten some.

She unfolded the towel and reached towards Birdie with it, cooing to him softly as she wrapped the towel around his damp body and pulled him closer to her. He didn't protest much, and sought out the warmth of the towel.

She rocked back on her heel, sat down on her bottom and placed Birdie in her lap as she dried him off. Once she was sure he was dry enough, and wasn't shivering anymore, she placed the towel aside and lifted Birdie up in her hands, bringing him up to her eye level. She giggled a little when Birdie placed one tiny paw on her chin before leaning in and placing his little pink nose near her jaw, sniffing her slightly.

"Aw, you're cute," she informed the small kitten.

Booth, who was standing at the kitchen isle fixing up sandwiches and a small salad he knew Temperance would appreciate, smiled when he heard her soft laughter. He snuck a look at her sitting on the floor, playing with the cat, and shook his head, sighing.

He wasn't a fan of felines and he wasn't going to like 'Birdie' making messes everywhere because he couldn't be trained if he was this young and a stray to boot, but Temperance appeared to have fallen head over heels for Birdie.

And if she loved the little fur ball…Then he was going to have to endure it because seeing her with that bright smile and sparkling eyes and hearing her joyful laughter was more than sufficient reward for him.

* * *

><p>October 5, 1991.<p>

"I think he hates me."

"Booth."

"Look – he's glaring at me right now!"

"No, he's not!"

Booth glared at Temperance. "Is this how it's gonna be?" he demanded. "You're gonna take his side over mine?"

"Yes, well, he's warm and cuddly," she drawled, smiling as Birdie hopped onto her lap, settling himself comfortably there.

"So am I," he defended.

Jared, sprawled on the armchair where he was channel surfing, gagged.

Booth threw him a glare before turning back to look at Temperance and Birdie. The cat was now licking his paw, purring contentedly, his large blue eyes fixed unflinchingly at Booth.

Booth scowled.

He really hadn't thought Temperance would stick it out, but it had been two weeks since Birdie had appeared on their doorstep – literally – and she had not only decided to keep him, but had made visits to the vet and the pet store to get everything Birdie needed.

Birdie had now gotten all his shots, a little cat basket to sleep in, a scratching post, a litter box and a red collar around his neck.

Clearly, Booth had severely underestimated Temperance's affection for Birdie and her determination to have a first pet.

"I'm not kidding, Bones," he continued in a hushed voice. "He has it out for me."

Temperance sighed loudly as she stroked Birdie's fur. "He's a cat, Booth. He doesn't have it out for anyone," she dismissed.

"He peed in my room three times already!" he threw his hands up in frustrated. "It still stinks in there."

"I hate to tell you, Seel, but that's not the cat pee," Jared smirked.

Booth grabbed a couch cushion and threw it at Jared. Temperance shook her head at them. "Booth, I really am sorry about the messes he made," she apologized for the hundredth time. "But Birdie's not litter box trained yet. Of course he would have accidents."

Booth scoffed. "He's not having 'accidents' in _your_ room. Or anywhere else in the house," he pointed out.

"Just how much longer are you planning on keeping him around?" he asked her tentatively.

She looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…Is he a permanent addition or something?" he asked.

"Yes, he is," Temperance said defensively, cuddling Birdie protectively.

He held up his hands to calm her down. "I'm just saying, you know…Let's say we go to college, and we get an apartment of our own…Is he coming with us?"

"You want us to get an apartment of our own?" Temperance asked, seeming shocked.

"You want to get an apartment together!" Jared yelped, staring at Booth and Temperance with wide eyes. Booth reached out with a long arm, gently – briefly – pressing the cushion into Jared's face to distract him. Jared pushed his hand away immediately, glaring silently at his older brother.

Booth blushed at Temperance's inquisitive, piercing gaze, nodding a little. "I mean, I guess there's the dorm thing, but I thought maybe we could get a small apartment off campus our sophomore year," he explained. "You know…Once we've saved up enough and everything."

A slow smile spread across her lips as she stared at him. "That…Sounds really nice," she acknowledged.

"It _does_!" Jared sounded disgusted.

Temperance nodded. "Yes, it does," she said firmly, giving Jared a warning look.

It never failed to amaze Booth how, with one icy glare, she could make his nosy little brother butt the hell out of their business when he could never intimidate him enough to do the same.

"And I'd love for us to get an apartment together in a couple of years," she agreed with his plan. "It'd be great to have our own space," she reached her hand across the table to cup his cheek and gently swiped her thumb back and forth against the soft skin.

With a loving smile on her face, she informed him, "But Birdie's still coming with us when we do."

Booth groaned, the feeling of euphoria at their tender little moment dissipating slowly.

Temperance sighed, seeing the unhappy frown on his face. "If it'll make you feel better, I promise to get you a new bottle of air freshener," she offered.

He relented at the pleading look in her blue eyes. "Fine," he muttered. _I'm such a sucker for her eyes. God help me_, he thought to himself. "But I'm locking my room from now on. That little fur ball isn't going in there anymore."

"I'm sure he'll survive," she deadpanned.

"And when we get our own place, he's not sleeping in our room," he warned, wagging his finger at Birdie. "Yeah. Don't get so used to sleeping in bedrooms, buddy."

Temperance rolled her eyes at his juvenile actions. She shook her head and turned her attention away from Booth and to the little kitten curled up on her lap.

Giving Birdie a kiss on his little pink nose – which made Booth grimace in disgust – Temperance scooped him off her lap and placed him by her feet – which made Booth grin triumphantly at the disgruntled kitten.

"Come on, we'd better get back to work on our homework," she informed Booth, turning her AP Biology textbook to the right page.

Booth groaned. "How are we so swamped with work already?" he asked rhetorically. "It's been only a month since school started."

"It's not that bad," she soothed.

He sighed. "No, but with all this extra work and practice…It's killing me," he confessed.

"Are you worried about the game?" she asked, mentally counting down the days before the game between their high school and a visiting team from another school. It was happening the Friday after next, the first of many games for the season.

He shrugged. "Not really," he said easily, his eyebrows scrunching together as he tried to find the right answer for question six in his textbook. "North High has a pretty sucky team. We'd win hands down."

She gave him an amused look. "Wow, you're cocky," she teased.

"Mm, and you love it," he joked, leaning across the table to kiss her, making her chuckle slightly.

Birdie meowed loudly and Jared threw the lovebirds a disgusted look. "Oh, come on!" he protested, throwing the same cushion Booth had tossed at him earlier at the back of his brother's head. "I'm still in the room, you know?"

"No one's forcing you to stay," Booth muttered, frowning in discontent when Temperance pulled away and gently pushed him back down on the floor, pointing to his textbook in a not-so-subtle hint for him to continue with his homework.

Jared took his revenge by loudly announcing, "Seeley and Tempe are gonna get an apartment together!" to Pops when he entered the living room from the kitchen.

Pops raised an eyebrow while Booth turned red and started spluttering. "Oh, you are?" he asked, amused.

"Jared!" Booth hissed angrily.

He shot a look at his girlfriend, only to find that she wasn't even paying attention to them, completely engrossed in her homework. He was still convinced that this was a coping mechanism whenever she felt she didn't want to deal with anything she deemed unpleasant.

"I didn't know you two wanted to get a place of your own," Pops couldn't help but ask, trying to tamp down his amusement just to scare Booth.

"Wha…Not _now_, Pops," Booth muttered, embarrassed. "In college. You know?"

"Ah," he nodded, sinking down on the couch. "I see. That makes more sense."

Booth muttered something unintelligible under his breath before ducking his head and keeping his eyes fixed on the page before him, even if he didn't understand the question he was supposedly scribbling the answer to.

_Remind me never to have any meaningful conversations with Temperance when Jared's in the room_, he thought, mentally putting Jared in a headlock.

* * *

><p>October 9, 1991.<p>

"Hey, Seeley," Cam threw him a flirty grin as she leaned against the locker next to him.

He smiled back at her. "Hey, Camille," he replied, placing his Trig book in the locker and taking out the AP Bio book he would need for later. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she said innocently. "I'm just wondering…I know you have a lot going on with the game coming up next week. But if you're up for it, maybe we could go out sometime…You know, take a break from all the stress. Might be good for you."

Booth chuckled a little. "Cam…" he started to protest.

She held up a hand to stem his words. "I know, I know," she assured him. "Just as friends, I promise."

He considered her words. "Well…Maybe," he conceded. "I've been wanting to see that new action movie."

She grinned. "Well, there you go," she gestured. "We could go to the movies. Talk a little…We haven't done that in a while."

He nodded. "That's true," he agreed. "You know, that sounds like a great idea, Cam."

Just as she was about to give herself a mental pat on the back, Booth added, "I don't have any practice tomorrow. I'll have to ask Bones if she's free, though. Believe it or not – she's busier than I am most days."

She frowned. "You want to bring Temperance along?" she asked, unable to hide her disappointment.

He stared at her, uncomprehending why she was so upset. "Yeah," he said perplexedly. "Is that a problem? I mean…I thought you like her."

"Oh, I do," she lied quickly. _If you ignore the fact that she's so unbearably blunt and so awkwardly clueless, she's not so bad…Sort of_, she thought with a mental eye-roll. "It's just…You know, we used to hang out together all the time. Then, just before the summer, you started spending all your time with Temperance. We barely even see each other now, just in classes – and we live next to each other! I mean, she's great and all but I miss _our_ friendship, you know?"

He frowned, nodding. "Yeah…I didn't even think of that," Booth said apologetically. "I'm sorry, Cam."

She shrugged. "It's fine, I guess" she shrugged, trying not to peek at him to see his reaction to her slightly morose tone.

"No, it's not," he shook his head. "We're friends, too. And you're right – we haven't seen a lot of each other. I've gotta make time for my buddy, too, right?"

"Mm, right, buddy," she forced a smile on her face, trying not to grimace as the word 'buddy' left her lips. "So we're going?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, sure," he nodded. "I'm sure Bones won't mind missing out one time. She has this debate competition thingy on Friday, anyway, so I'm sure she's gonna want to rehearse extra tomorrow night."

Cam waved as he walked away, trying not to focus too much on how he couldn't stop mentioning Temperance in every other sentence. _It doesn't mean anything_, she tried to convince herself. _They live together. Their lives probably intersect a lot. He's probably just so used to counting her in for everything_.

* * *

><p>October 10, 1991<p>

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say to my boyfriend right before he goes on a date with another girl," Temperance drawled sarcastically as she and Booth moved around each other in the living room.

They were both hurrying to get their things together before Booth headed out to go to the movies with Cam and Temperance had to go back to the school auditorium for a final run-down before the debate the next day.

"'Have fun' doesn't seem appropriate…" she continued teasingly as she grabbed her notes and placed them in her library bag.

Booth rolled his eyes as he shrugged on his coat. "It's not a date, Bones," he corrected her, knowing that while she didn't have a big problem with him going out with Cam to the movies, she _was_ slightly insecure considering how Cam had made it clear before about being interested in dating him. "We're going just as friends."

"Well, I've heard _that_ one before," she scoffed, referencing how he had said the same thing when he'd gone out with Cam alone before only to find out she wanted more than just friendship from him. Not letting him respond to that, she added, "Have you seen my pencil case? I swear I saw it right here just a moment ago…"

"Under your bag," he answered without hesitation, and without even looking for them, his attention focused on trying to find his lost keys. "You know where my…?"

"In my gray jacket," she replied. "You let me drive home just now, remember?"

"Right," he muttered, flinching at the memory. She was going to start Driver's Ed soon and had wanted to learn how to drive since she had memorized everything she needed to know in theory. Despite her knowledge on traffic signs and lanes, she was _not_ a very good driver. "Thanks," he said as he fished the keys out of her pocket.

He slipped the jacket off the coat rack and headed towards Temperance who was now in front of the mirror in the hallway, trying to tame her messy mane and make herself look presentable enough to step outside the house.

"I'm so nervous for tomorrow," she muttered as she raked her fingers through her tangled hair. "I don't even know why I'm on the team."

"You wanted a more impressive resume for college, remember?" he reminded her, wrapping her in a hug from behind.

"Well, my incredible grades should impress them enough," she retorted, smiling at him through the mirror when he pressed a kiss to her neck then rested his chin on top of her shoulder.

He laughed. "I don't know why you're so worried," he said, watching as she gave up on her hair and threw it into a messy ponytail. "You'll do great."

She snorted derisively. "No…I'm never good at these things. Public speaking isn't exactly my best trait," she shook her head.

"Ha! Are you kidding me?" Booth scoffed. "You're amazing at everything you do." _Except driving_, his mind countered. _And volleyball_. Hiding his grin, he continued, "You'll kick ass tomorrow."

She chuckled warmly. "Mm, thank you," she murmured, placing her hands on top of his arms around her waist. She stayed in his embrace for as long as she could before reluctantly pulling away. "I'm going to end up late to the meeting if I don't go now."

"Oh, okay," he said, sighing disappointedly. "I guess I should go, too."

He helped her slip on her coat, turning her around to face him as she buttoned on her jacket buttons. "I'll see you later tonight," she smiled at him, reaching up to kiss him goodbye.

Booth smiled after her as she went back to the couch to grab her library bag and slung it over her shoulder. When she walked past him to get to the door, he grabbed hold of her hand, stopping her progress, and pulled her back to him.

"Hey, come here," he called out softly, yanking gently on her hand so that she stumbled into him.

She laughed at his actions, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What is it?" she asked, her fingers gently scratching at the baby hairs at the nape of his neck.

Ignoring the shiver _that_ sent down his spine, he said, "You know that I'd never cheat on you, right?" he asked her quietly.

Despite how lighthearted she had been when he'd informed her of his plans with Cam for the night, he had seen the insecure look in her eyes before she'd turned her head away.

He knew her, knew that she was feeling jealous and didn't understand it, didn't enjoy it. He knew she was confused and would probably try to reason it all away and when she couldn't, she would try to distance herself from him until he sought her out and explained it all to her, assure her that everything was alright.

Her smile slipped slightly as her heart skipped a beat at their topic of conversation. "Yeah, I know," she muttered, dropping her gaze slightly.

"Hey," he curled his forefinger underneath her chin and gently tilted her head up so their eyes would meet. "I have never cheated on any girl I've dated and I never would. Especially not on the girl I'm so damn madly in love with."

She felt herself blush at his words, and a goofy smile spread involuntarily across her lips. "Wow, you're good," she said to lighten the moment.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I know," he joked, earning him a punch on the shoulder. "Ouch," he winced. She really didn't hit like a girl – at all.

Temperance leaned up on her tip toes to give him a kiss of apology, and another one just for knowing she needed his words of reassurance.

"So…Have fun?" she offered as she pulled away.

He grinned. "You too," he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck, hugging her tight for a moment. "Don't debate too hard."

She rolled her eyes. "Right," she muttered.

They walked out of the house arm in arm, both smiling widely. Admittedly, Temperance's smile slipped slightly when she saw Cam leaning against Booth's car, decked out in a pretty red top and jeans.

"Don't be jealous, babe," Booth leaned down and whispered in Temperance's ear. "You're gorgeous."

Temperance glared at him. "I'm not jealous, Booth," she snapped. _That may or may not be a lie_, she thought grudgingly. Her expression softening for a moment as she turned insecure eyes to him, she asked him quietly, "Am I prettier than she is?"

He nodded. "You're prettier than her on your worst day," he assured her.

Her lips curved upwards in a small smile. "Thank you," she said primly. Unable to help herself, she added a warning, "And if your eyes wander, I'll know."

He fought the urge to shiver at her icy tone. "No, you won't," he scoffed.

"Oh, I will," she countered darkly.

"Okay, remember what I said to you not thirty seconds ago?" he reminded her. "About the not cheating part?"

She sighed, deflating a little. "Yeah, I guess," she muttered in a childishly defiant tone.

He smirked at her. "So I guess you _are_ jealous, huh?"

"Don't push it," she said through clenched teeth, glowering at him.

He chuckled, but let the matter drop. "Hey, Cam," he greeted her as he and Temperance neared the car.

"Hey, Seeley," she said, her tone a little breathy.

Temperance had the sudden urge to rip Cam's head off with her bare hands. Not so subtly, she cleared her throat in an effort to get the girl to stop gazing at her boyfriend like a love-struck puppy.

Cam blinked, her gaze dropping on Temperance as though she was only just realizing her presence. Her eyes lingered on Booth and Temperance's linked arms. "Hi, Temperance," she said, her tone back to normal as she greeted the younger girl.

"Hello," Temperance forced a smile.

Deliberately ignoring the tension between the two, Booth said, "I'm gonna drop Bones off at the school first. Hope you don't mind, Camille. We won't end up late for the movie, I promise."

Cam nodded. "Oh, of course," she said politely.

Booth made his way to the passenger side of the car, opening the door and stepping aside for Temperance. Temperance smiled at him, already used to his unrelenting gentlemanly manners, thanking him quietly as she slipped into the car.

Booth noticed that Cam was still standing outside the car and opened the door to the backseat for her.

Cam tried not to look disappointed that Temperance was the one who got to sit next to Booth out front. _It's such a silly thing to get upset over_, she chided herself. _He's gonna think you're a nutcase. Though it makes more sense if I sit up front with him. She's only going to be in the car for the next fifteen minutes. I'd have to switch to the front when we drop her off. It'll be weird if I sit in the back when the passenger's seat is empty, like he's my chauffer or something_.

To Cam's consternation, Booth and Temperance kept a steady stream of conversation all the way to the school. It was as though she wasn't included in their little tight knit circle made up of two people. She rolled her eyes when Booth and Temperance bickered back and forth about which radio station to listen to.

_The way they keep on going, they're not even going to get the chance to listen to any music before we reach the school_, Cam sighed, irritated.

True enough, Booth pulled in front of the school building just as they were getting into a lively debate on which was better as car music – Foreigner or ACDC. Booth had gotten steadily offended that Temperance had no idea what 'ACDC' meant, insisting that they were the pioneers of the meaning 'road trip music' and while Foreigner was a good band, they couldn't compare to ACDC.

"What time should I pick you up later?" Booth asked as he stopped the car by the front steps of the building.

Temperance reached out to open the glove compartment. "There's no need, Booth," she assured him. "I can get home on my own…Hey, where are they!" she muttered the last part almost to herself as she rummaged around the countless number of things he had hidden in there.

Booth frowned at her. "Don't tell me you're gonna take the bus," he said exasperatedly. "You know how I feel about you taking public transportation after dark."

"Booth-"

"And don't even start about your 'skills' in karate, Bones," Booth rolled his eyes. "If it's a two hundred pound man coming at you, you wouldn't be able to win."

She shot him a sharp look. "First of all – yes, I would," she said stubbornly. "And secondly, I was just about to say that I could get a ride home. Shane's on my team. He already offered."

Booth grimaced, suddenly feeling a lot less happier than he had when they had left the house. "Oh, great," he said sarcastically. "Shane's there. Now everything in the world has righted itself."

"What are you talking about?" Temperance muttered distractedly, still poking around in his glove compartment. "Seriously, did you eat it all? I know you'd never throw food away…"

Booth ignored that. "It's just…I'd feel better if _I_ picked you up," he insisted.

"Why?" she finally looked up at him. "It'd be a waste of time – and gas. Not to mention, I don't even know when I'd be home."

"But…"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What is it?" she asked gently, retracting her hand from the glove compartment to rest on his arm. She heard the frustration in his voice and saw how upset he was. She was smart enough to know that it probably didn't really have anything to do with her being home late.

He started to protest and tell her that it was nothing, that he was simply worried about her coming home late. But her eyes were so perceptive and even if she didn't believe in souls, he felt like she was looking right into his.

Relenting, he ducked his head to avert his embarrassed gaze. "You never told me Shane was on the team," he admitted on a mumble.

Temperance furrowed her brows together. "So what if he is?" she clearly didn't understand his displeasure.

He sighed, throwing her a dirty look for making him spell it out for her. It wasn't like it was her fault – she was just oblivious to it. Now he had to find some way to say he wasn't happy with the guy that asked her out before sending her home without accidentally spilling it to Cam about their relationship.

"_You know_…" he stressed. When she still looked at him blankly, he sighed, shaking his head. "Shane asked you that _thing_ before summer? _That thing_ that you said no to?"

She finally seemed to catch on and the absurdity of it all made her laugh, which didn't please him at all. "Booth…" she shook her head. "It's fine, really."

"What thing?" Cam piped up from the back, unhappy at being left out of their little bubble. It was as though she wasn't even there – this wasn't a treatment she was used to.

"Nothing," Booth and Temperance said simultaneously, their gazes still locked on one another and the corners of their lips tugged upwards slightly as smiles threatened to break out.

"If it makes you feel better, I can ask Maddie Lyle to drive me home instead," she offered, a smile in her voice.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Could you!" he asked hopefully.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Alright, I'm gonna go," she said, sighing as she shut the compartment glove and picked her bag up from the floor. "I'll see you later, Booth."

Before she could open the car door, Booth grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Here," he handed her the baggie full of Skittles to her.

She gasped. "You fiend! You thief! You were hiding it!"

He grinned. "I confess nothing," he teased. Risking a kiss to her cheek, he said, "Good luck on your trial run rehearsal meeting thingy."

She rolled her eyes and patted his cheek affectionately before turning to get out of the car. "Bye, Cam," she called out as she stepped out of the vehicle. "See you at home, Booth," she threw him a saucy grin over her shoulder.

Booth was still grinning like a fool as Temperance disappeared into the school.

Cam glared at Booth, unhappy that he hadn't even noticed that she'd slipped into the front passenger's seat. "Booth!" she snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey, Booth! Are you in there?"

He blinked rapidly a few times. "Uh…Oh, Cam," he looked surprised that she was there. She tried not to be insulted. "Sorry. I, uh…"

"Forgot I was here?" she raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed.

"No! Not at all," he rushed to assure her. "I was just…Thinking." _About how I really want to run into the school, grab Bones and drag her into one of the many empty rooms in the building at the moment and make good use of the ten minutes I could convince her to spare before she goes ballistic about being late_.

He decided it was probably not a good thing to say that out loud, so he gave Cam a sheepish grin and started the car once more, driving out of the school gate.

* * *

><p>Cam sighed, irritated.<p>

All night, she had tried to subtly seduce Booth. Despite her friend Donna's suspicions that he was dating Temperance, Booth hadn't said a word about it to her and although Booth and Temperance were abnormally close, they hadn't once kissed on the lips or held hands or anything like that. Nothing that Cam had witnessed, anyway.

She knew that a guy like Booth…Well, he was bound to be all over his girl if he had one. She could recognize raw sexual prowess when she saw it and while she had the feeling that he wasn't very experienced – supported by his ex-girlfriend Katie's claim that they had never done it – she could tell that he would be a demon in bed once unleashed.

So, frankly, she was clueless as to why when he was single and available, with a hot girl like herself flirting with him all night while wearing her best 'subtly sexy' clothes, he wouldn't take her bait.

She had continued trying to keep up a conversation with him during the drive to the theatre but all her flirty comments fell to the wayside and while he was his usual charming self, he had kept a friendly distance between them.

While they were getting tickets, they had run into Mark and Diana from school. They were on a date and had assumed the same for Cam and Booth. Cam had smiled, thinking that if her two friends had seen some spark of chemistry between them, it might open Booth's eyes and make him see that they could be good together.

But Booth had laughed at Diana's assumption and had immediately denied the claim – vehemently, in fact. Diana had gotten an awkward look on her face, apologizing for assuming. Things had gotten uncomfortable fast and the four of them had parted ways - Mark and Diana had gone to get snacks for the romantic movie they'd be viewing and Cam and Booth went to buy tickets for the action flick they were watching.

It had taken Cam a whole half hour to calm herself down, her heart hurt and offended that he would think being with her was so laughable.

They had gone for ice cream after the movie – a whole two and half hours during which they hadn't really spoken to each other, their attention paid to the movie instead – and her ego was further deflated when Booth smilingly made a comment about how Temperance's favorite was mint and chocolate chip ice cream but on days where they'd get a frozen treat after a movie, she'd prefer to get strawberry frozen yogurt instead, convincing herself that it was a healthier choice after all the junk consumed at the theater.

Now they were back in their neighborhood. Booth's car was parked in his driveway and he was walking next to her as they made their way towards her front porch.

While they'd had a significantly better time during the drive home in her opinion – this was mostly because he hadn't once mentioned Temperance during the drive and they'd even gotten into a lively conversation about the upcoming game and her success in making it onto the cheerleading squad this year – he was now silent again.

Cam snuck a look at Booth shuffling along next to her. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head was bowed, his eyes fixed on his shoes as they walked.

She stepped slightly closer to him and nudged him gently. "Hey," she smiled when he looked up at her. "What's got you so quiet?"

He shrugged. "Nothing," he assured her, sighing. "I'm sorry. I haven't been the best company tonight, have I?"

She laughed a little. "If I say 'no', do I get an 'I'm sorry' kiss?" she asked teasingly.

Booth chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry, I'm all out of kisses," he joked back, thinking nothing of her slight flirting.

"Oh, well, that's too bad," she continued in a suggestive, sultry voice. He was surprised when she stopped walking, her hands reaching out to grasp at his coat and pull him closer. "I was thinking we could have a kiss goodnight."

She was leaning up to kiss him, her citrusy scent enveloping him, her eyes closed, her long lashes against her mocha colored cheeks, her red glossy lips pulled into a pouty smile…And he felt absolutely no desire for her whatsoever.

He pulled away from her, putting more distance between them as he gently pried her fingers off his coat. "Cam…" he shook his head. "Look, I'm…What I said before about not being interested in you…You know, _that_ way…It still stands."

Cam pulled her hands out of his grasp and threw them up in frustration. "Why not though!" she demanded, knowing that her actions now made this the lowest point she had ever been. "I mean, what is it? You're not dating anyone, we like each other, we get along better than fine, we flirt sometimes…"

Booth shook his head. "Cam, I…That was just me being friendly," he said apologetically. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression or led you on somehow. I thought you knew that. I thought we were just having easy banter."

"Well, I didn't!" she snapped. "And I don't get it. Okay? I look sexy and I'm wearing my favorite perfume and I smile at you and I make flirty little comments and you just…"

"You look great," he soothed, hoping she'd calm down. They were three feet away from her house and the last thing he wanted was for her father – a scary man, as his memory served – to come barging out of her house, demanding to know why he was making his little girl upset. "But I just…"

"What! What is it?" Cam asked angrily, more than a little hurt by him turning her down. She had been offended more than once that night. Granted, he had no idea she was insulted by his comments about how they were just friends and laughing at the idea of them being together, but she couldn't help feeling hurt. "Is it Temperance? I know you told me before that you and her are just friends but do you like her or something?"

Booth shook his head. "Look, just leave Bones out of this, okay?" It was all he could do not to panic at her pinpointing the exact reason why he could never be into her romantically.

She ignored him. "Because I see the way you look at her," she continued with accusing eyes. "I see the way you smile at her and the way you want her close all the time. I mean, if that's not it-"

"It's not!" his voice was rising along with hers.

"Then prove it!" she almost shouted, her eyes glaring daggers at him. If he wasn't going to get with her, then she wanted the truth. He was going to tell her about his feelings for Temperance, whether returned or not, right there and then. "Kiss me if you're not into her."

"No!"

"Why the hell not!"

She was yelling at him, and the conversation was so dangerous considering all the secrecy surrounding his relationship with Temperance, and her hands were shoving at him while her eyes were looking hurt and she wouldn't stop yelling about how there were signs and she had never had to beg or work so hard to get a boy before in her life, and he was feeling more and more pressured as she talked.

Finally snapping, he interrupted her angry tirade, blurting out without thinking, "Because Bones is the girl I can see forever with and that's rare to find someone like that, even rarer when we're both so young, and I'm not going to screw it all up just to prove something to _anyone_!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he stood shell shocked, feeling as though someone had slapped him with a block of cement. He closed his eyes tight, "Oh…" he sighed. _I _cannot_ believe I just told her that. God, Bones is gonna be pissed_.

Cam, meanwhile, stared at him open-mouthed. She had initially crossed her arms across her chest and stared at him knowingly, angrily, as he begun to snap. She had expected a 'yes, fine, I like Temperance' or something similar but his confession was far more emotional than she'd anticipated. His words were heavier, the sentiment more meaningful.

"Oh, my God…" she finally managed to say after a few long minutes of her staring at him, dumbfounded.

Booth slowly opened his eyes to look at Cam's shocked expression. "Cam, listen…Please, please don't tell anyone about this…" he started to beg.

"Uh…" she was still far too shocked to come up with something better. "Why?"

"Technically, Bones and I aren't supposed to be together, I don't think," he explained, grimacing. "I mean, my Pops is her foster guardian and she's living with me and I don't think her social worker would like it if we're dating and living in the same house together…"

She nodded her head slowly, starting to understand the reason why he and Temperance had been trying to fool everyone by saying they weren't together. While he continued to babble, Cam took the time to calm down and regain her composure.

As she looked at his flustered face, his wide panicked eyes and took in the way he was stuttering and babbling his way through an explanation mixed in with pleas to keep quiet about her knowledge of his clandestine relationship, Cam thought about him and Temperance and the words that he had said earlier.

_He might not have told me outright that he loves her but it's clear he does, especially now_, Cam thought with a sigh. _I can't be mad at him for that. It would be unfair to him. Crap_.

Sighing out loud, she held up a hand to stop his stream of explanations. "Listen, Booth, I have to admit…I was upset earlier because, well, you just made it seem like it was impossible for us to be together. I didn't know why it would seem so incredulous to you and it hurt my pride," she confessed with difficulty.

He cringed, opening his mouth to say he was sorry yet again. She smiled at him, understanding in her eyes, "But now I get it. You love her."

He blushed, raising a hand to run it through his short hair. "It's that obvious, huh?" he muttered abashedly.

She shrugged. "I had my suspicions about you two before," she informed him. "So it's not such a great leap to get to once you started waxing poetry about her."

"Yeah…Listen, I really am sorry, Cam-" he begun again.

She cut him off. "No, I am," she exhaled loudly. "God, I've never acted that way before, especially not in front of a boy. I'm now really embarrassed by the whole thing."

"Yeah, I have that effect on girls," Booth joked with a weak smile.

"I'm _so_ gonna tell your girlfriend you said that," she said, far more confident than he was that they would bounce back from this and get back to being good friends.

He bit his lip. "About that…We really can't risk someone – well, _else_ – finding out…"

"I know that I've wanted more than friendship from you for some time now," she brushed back her hair from her face, looking him directly in the eyes as she spoke. She might not have been graceful before but she knew how to hold her head up high. "But you and I have always been good friends and if that's all I'm getting…That's enough."

She reached out and took hold of his hand in both of hers. "Good friends have each other's backs and I'm gonna have yours," she promised. "You can count on me."

He sighed, relieved, and smiled at her. "Thanks, Cam," he said sincerely. "You're awesome for that."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek to thank her once more and bid her goodnight, walking the other way back to Pops' house.

Cam watched him leave, a rueful smile on her face as she shook her head. _All the good ones are either gay or taken_, she complained silently. _I hope it gets better when I'm older_.

* * *

><p>Booth had been home for nearly an hour but he'd barely stepped inside the house to let Pops know he was home before he'd stepped right back outside to sit on the porch swing. His eyes were riveted to the cloudy night sky as his mind swirled with his own words from earlier.<p>

He was still in shock over his declarations about Temperance being the girl for him forever. He supposed, on some level, he knew that she was the only one he could imagine his life with but he'd never put much thought about it.

At this point, his thoughts were mostly focused on going to state championships and passing the SATs and graduating high school and going to Northwestern with Temperance. The rest of it he'd put on the backburner, not wanting to stress himself – and Temperance – out with all the finer details.

Frankly, though, as his heart finally slowed down to a semi-normal rate, he decided that he wasn't at all surprised about his statement about wanting forever with her.

There was a lot he wanted to accomplish in his life. He might not be as ambitious as she was – truthfully, he was pretty sure no one in the world was as ambitious as she was – but he still had big plans for himself. He wanted to be a big name in pro basketball, maybe even play for the NBA someday. There was a tiny barely-there dream about being a cop that he might revisit once he'd retired as a pro b-baller. He wanted to be great.

He wasn't surprised that she was the one he wanted next to him while he went for his dreams and he was even less surprised that he wanted to be the one standing next to her while she accomplished her dreams.

_I'm gonna be in her Nobel speech_, he thought smugly.

He was so absorbed with his thoughts – his mind allowing him to day dream and conjure up images of their future together; it included a lot of travel because he knew she would love that and he'd do anything for her even if he wasn't a big fan of planes, and they were going to live in a nice apartment in a city somewhere or maybe live in one of those pretty houses in San Francisco she gushed about after researching for a Geography homework once; he was going to be a famous athlete and she was going to be a sexy scientist and they would have a girl with her hair and eyes and a little boy who looked just like him – that he didn't notice the blue Sentra stopping in front of the house and Temperance stepping out of it.

Temperance waved goodbye to Maddie Lyle as she drove off before turning around to walk up the pathway to the house. She smiled when she noticed Booth sitting outside on the porch swing.

"Hey," she murmured when she approached him, noticing that he hadn't seemed to notice her presence.

Booth jumped slightly at the sound of her voice. He blinked up at her. "Bones," he said in a pleasantly surprised voice. His arms were outstretched, immediately reaching for her. "What're you doing here?"

"I live here," she reminded him in amusement.

He chuckled, smiling widely when she stepped into his arms and allowed herself to be pulled down next to him on the swing. "No, I meant…When did you get home?" he elaborated.

"Just a few seconds ago," she assured him. "What were you thinking about so hard?"

He shook his head. "Nothing much," he lied. "How was your meeting?"

"Good," she replied on a sigh, snuggling into his side and resting her head on his shoulder. "Exhausting. I'm even more of a nervous wreck now than I was before."

"Aw, you'll be fine tomorrow," he assured her.

She lifted her head slightly to look at him. "Will you be there?" she asked hopefully, a small smile on her face.

"Of course I will," he scoffed, as if anything else was ludicrous. "Where else would I rather be than supporting my gorgeous girl?"

She dropped her head back on his shoulder and smacked him lightly on the chest. "I'm not your property," she chided without heat. A moment passed in silence before she murmured, "Thanks."

She closed her eyes, fighting back a yawn as her exhaustion crept in. "So anything interesting happen tonight?" she asked him sleepily.

"No, nothing," he replied instantly. "Well…Cam knows about us now."

"Wait – what!" Temperance's head snapped up as she jerked away from him slightly to stare at him, shocked.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," he pulled her close again. "She won't tell anyone, I promise."

"Booth…" Temperance shook her head in disbelief. _Does he really think I'm gonna let it go just like that?_ "What the hell happened? Why did you tell her?"

He sighed. He could see how tired she was and he didn't want to get into this tonight. She was a lot crankier when she was tired and telling her everything that happened earlier would only be starting a fight he didn't want to have.

"I'll tell you tomorrow," he promised. At her incredulous look, he cupped her face in his large hands and leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. "Trust me, it's better this way. You're tired now and nothing even happened. Everything's fine, Bones. Just…Let's just sit here for a while, okay? We'll talk more about this tomorrow."

She resisted for a while before giving in. Sighing, she nodded. "Fine," she grumbled, snuggling back into him and resting her head on his shoulder once more. "But I'm only agreeing because I'm two seconds away from falling asleep sitting up."

Booth grinned, gazing down lovingly at her. "I love you, Bones," he whispered, stroking her silken hair gently before tucking a curl behind her ear.

She smiled sleepily and mumbled an almost incoherent, "I love you, too," before drifting asleep on his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Please leave a line or two. Thank you so much for reading, and for those of you who reviewed last chapter.<p>

Juliet.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N:** Once more, for underage readers, part of this chapter is mature. Please look out for the warning label I have placed below and stop reading when you reach it. Thank you very much for all of your lovely support.

**Disclaimer:** Hart Hanson owns it all.

* * *

><p><em>October 13, 1991<em>.

"Do you think this is a churchy costume?" Temperance asked Booth as she smoothed the invisible wrinkles on the front of her dress.

He threw her an amused smirk. "First of – it's 'outfit', not costume," he corrected her. "And secondly…Churchy? Really?"

She looked up from where she had been studying her reflection in the mirror to glare at him. "I just want to look nice," she defended herself. "It's the first church cos-" At his look, she amended, "Church outfit that I bought myself."

It was true, too. Before she'd moved in with Booth and his family, she'd used the same dress that she'd had since before her family disappeared for a long time.

She had lived with a nice old couple for a little while a year or so before she'd met Booth. The couple never had kids and always wanted one. The wife, Joanie, had brought Temperance shopping once. She'd claimed that all of Temperance's clothes were getting too small for her and she needed ones that fit. They had gone to this little budget store and a salvation army. They had even found a new used dress for Temperance to wear to church. They were the first family she'd lived with as a foster child that she hadn't hated.

Joanie's husband, a quiet old man named Frank, had suffered a stroke a few days after their shopping trip. He'd died and Joanie was left unable to care for Temperance alone. She had gone to live in a group home for a month afterwards.

She had been wearing that same dress for church since then.

Then, of course, when she went shopping for school clothes with Amy, she had seen _this_ dress and bought it on impulse. Impulsivity wasn't something she was used to at all but it looked so pretty and when Amy had urged her to try it on, it had made her feel pretty, as well.

She wasn't sure 'pretty' was how she was supposed to look going to church. She didn't want to look inappropriate nor did she want to look as though she wasn't trying at all to be presentable.

Booth smiled at her fondly, stepping towards her and wrapping his arms around her from behind. "You look gorgeous, Bones," he murmured in her ear.

She sighed, her head dropping back against him as she stared at their joint reflection in the mirror. "Yes, but the question is, am I supposed to look gorgeous?" she dismissed his compliment, still worrying over her choice in fashion.

Booth snorted a little in laughter. "I love you," he just had to say, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Come on. Let's go. Pops and Jared are probably downstairs already."

They walked down hand in hand. They had already had breakfast with the family earlier on and, as they did every Sunday, they all got ready to go to church.

Booth kept shooting furtive sideways glances at Temperance the entire time they were in church. She had a thoughtful look on her face when she watched the priest speak, and he knew that unlike his little brother – who was trying his best to look as though he was listening while he nodded off – Temperance was taking in everything the priest was saying.

He knew that she didn't believe in religion. She wasn't shy about her views on the subject and she held very strong beliefs that God himself wasn't real. They still got into huge, loud arguments: Proud Catholic versus Stubborn Atheist.

Still, the very first Sunday after she had moved in, she had tentatively asked Pops if she could join him and the two brothers to church. She was a pretty good churchgoer, too. Of course, there had been a few incidents the first couple of times she'd went with them – inappropriate comments in loud, hushed whispers during mass, questions he was embarrassed other church members might overhear…But she had fallen into a routine these days.

She would sit beside Booth and listen to everything that was being said. She'd have that same contemplative look on her face every single time. She'd sit right there on the bench while Booth, Pops and Jared went for communion afterwards. She never said a word about how God was an imaginary figure made up by some lunatics who believed in magic.

And he was curious as hell.

"Man, church was really long today," Jared complained as he trudged next to Pops.

Pops chuckled, clapping the boy on his back. "Well, sometimes the priest has something really important to say," he replied.

"I didn't see what was so important about what he had to say," Jared grumbled.

"Of course not," Pops agreed cheerfully. "You were asleep for most of it."

Jared almost tripped over his feet. Blushing, he scowled as he threw his brother a dirty look over his shoulder. "Did Seeley tell you?" he asked sulkily. "That rat."

"No, Seeley never said a word," Pops rolled his eyes. "I could hear you snoring from where I was sitting. I'm pretty sure the whole church did."

Jared scowled, not appreciating his grandfather's joke. He threw another look over his shoulder at Booth and Temperance, sighing a little when he saw Temperance smile up at Booth and link her arms with his. Shaking his head, he turned back to the front.

As Booth walked next to Temperance, he kept shooting her sly glances every few seconds.

Finally, chuckling a little, Temperance shot him a look. "Okay, what is it?" she asked him.

He looked at her, surprised. "What's what?" he asked, taken aback.

"You have been staring at me ever since we left the house," she accused. "Did you want to ask me something?"

He shook his head almost instantly. "Nope," he answered on reflex. At her amused, disbelieving look, he nodded, acquiescing. "Okay, I do have something to ask you…But I don't want you to be offended by it or anything."

She shrugged. "I can understand being curious for knowledge," she stated. "I promise to look at your question from a logical point of view instead of an emotional one."

"Right," he muttered. "I just…You don't believe in religion."

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "Was that the question?" she asked, confused. "It's not a very good one."

He rolled his eyes. "It's not the question," he assured her.

"Because you know I don't believe in God," she reminded him unnecessarily.

"Yes, I know," he rushed to say. He didn't want another Temperance Brennan lecture on how religion was completely illogical and God couldn't possibly be real. "But you insist on coming to church every Sunday. I remember, a couple of weeks ago, you had the most terrible cold…You couldn't even stay awake for longer than half an hour. But you came to church."

She frowned at him. "Are you…?" she gave him an inquisitive look, trying to hide her hurt as she asked, "Do you not want me to come with you to church?"

"No! No, that's not it," he assured her hurriedly, untangling their linked arms to wrap his arm around her to pull her closer to his side. "I'm just curious why you want to go to church in the first place. I mean, you're more attentive than I am sometimes."

She shrugged. "Some of the things said in there are interesting," she said vaguely. "All the non-religious related talk made at least a little sense. Sometimes."

He raised an eyebrow at her, clearly not believing her.

She sighed, nodding once. "Well, you know that I've never really believed in God, not even when I was a child?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I remember you telling me that," he mused. "Your dad was an atheist, right?"

"Yes, he was," she agreed. "He and I believed in science more than Russ and my mother. My mother…" a large smile spread across her face as she remembered her mother's beautiful face. "She was a woman of faith. She never failed to go to church, every Sunday. She'd make sure the entire family went, even me and my father. She said that it's just one of those things that a family has to do together. I never understood it but she insisted."

She sighed heavily. "I find that I miss those Sunday mornings now that she's not with me anymore," she confessed quietly.

He pressed a kiss to her hair. "I'm sorry, Bones," he murmured, knowing that her heart was still raw from her family's disappearance even years after it happened.

She shrugged half-heartedly. "I just…I feel a little closer to her going to church, you know? I could imagine her right next to me," she shook her head, exhaling loudly. "It's a stupid thing to do, I know…"

He shook his head. "No, it's not," he assured her. "You're just…Remembering her. You're keeping her memory alive. People do it all the time."

"Like you do when you make your mom's meatloaf?"

"Yeah, like that."

Temperance was quiet for a few seconds before saying, "My mom's not dead, though."

He kept his silence.

"I mean…She's just missing," she continued. "She'll come back."

Booth turned to look at her, keeping his face and eyes blank. If there was one emotion she was adept at recognizing, it was pity. She hated it and he didn't want to upset her in any way.

"Do you really believe that?" he asked her gently.

She couldn't look at him in the face when she answered. "Yes, of course I do."

Their awkward silence was broken when Pops, already at his car, shouted out to them, "Hey, kids! I feel up to an early lunch at the diner. What do you say?"

Booth grinned, already salivating at the thought of diner burger, fries and shake. _And apple pie_, his hungry stomach reminded him. "Come on, Bones," he squeezed her shoulders slightly. "I'll buy you a slice of pie."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't like pie, Booth," she told him, her tone fond despite being exhausted at having told him this a thousand times before. He would simply block out her dislike for pie, firmly believing that pie made the world go round.

"Of course you do," he scoffed, just like every other time before this. "Everybody likes pie. It's like the dessert version of mac and cheese."

She shook her head in exasperation even as her smile grew. Sighing contentedly, she rested her head on Booth's shoulder as they walked arm in arm towards Pops' car.

Booth could be an overgrown child sometimes but she loved that about him. It made her feel as though her burdens were lighter.

The four of them settled in their usual booth by the window, their waitress Gertrude handing them menus with a smile.

"Listen, I need to talk to you kids about something," Pops said as soon as Gertrude had left their table.

Booth, who was examining the menu, looked up then. He caught sight of the specials board and grinned. "Ooh! Hey! They have a steak and cheese burger! I think I'm gonna have that," he decided. "Bones? What about you?"

She crinkled her nose. "Umm…No, that's too heavy for me," she shook her head. "I feel like we've just eaten breakfast."

"That was hours ago," Booth scoffed.

She ignored that. "I think I'll have the Caesar salad…And some fries," she dragged her eyes through the menu. "No, wait. You're having fries, aren't you, Booth?"

Booth hid a grin. For some reason he could never understand, she hated ordering her own fries. She'd always steal from his plate. He'd asked before, of course, and she'd always answer with 'they taste better when they're yours'. So it was an unspoken agreement these days that if they went out to eat, he'd order fries and she'd steal them.

"Yeah, Bones, I'm getting fries," he assured her, reaching out with one hand to lightly run a finger through her silky hair.

She nodded, satisfied. "Then no fries for me. Just the Caesar salad, please," she said firmly.

"You'll at least have a milkshake, won't you?" Booth asked, looking disapprovingly at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'll have a milkshake," she agreed, a slight hint of sarcasm in her voice.

He gave her a knowing grin. "Don't act all self-sacrificing," he teased. "You and I both know about your great love for milkshakes. You complain to me if you don't get one every time we come here."

She blushed slightly. "No, I don't," she snapped defensively.

"Yes, you do."

"I'm gonna have the steak and cheese burger, too," Jared interrupted the lovesick duo.

Booth scoffed. "You only want that cuz I'm having it," he accused.

Jared immediately glared at Booth. "No, I don't," he disagreed angrily. "Believe it or not, Seel, there _are_ other people in the world who like steak."

Booth rolled his eyes and, in a particularly childish move, he imitated his little brother's words in a mocking tone.

Pops rolled his eyes but waited until Gertrude, who had come back to their table with their drinks by now, to take their orders and leave before speaking again. "This is important," he insisted. "Do you remember, when Tempe first moved in with us, Ms. Briggs came over once or twice to check in with her?"

"Ms. Briggs?" Temperance tensed up. "Why are you bringing her up? Did she call? Did something happen? I…I'm not being moved to another family, am I?"

Booth, too, had tensed at the unexpected mention of Temperance's social worker. "What – can they do that?" he demanded anxiously, gripping Temperance's hand tightly underneath the table. "They can't, can they? I mean, we haven't done anything wrong."

Jared snorted. "Yeah, except dating each other," he pointed out.

Booth glared at him. "Jared, go away," he instructed.

"No," Jared rolled his eyes.

Temperance remained silent, her heart racing as she waited for Pops to give her the bad news. Booth's attention was drawn back to her when he felt her squeezing his hand sporadically, alerting him to her anxiety.

"So…Back to whatever it is you wanted to tell us?" Booth turned to Pops.

Pops sighed, nodding his head. "It's not anything bad," he said first, not wanting them to think the worst. "But, as Tempe's social worker, Ms. Briggs has to check in from time to time. She called me yesterday and told me that she'd be coming by soon."

"How soon?" Booth asked.

Pops winced. "Today."

Booth choked a little on his drink. "Today!" he yelped. "That's sort of short notice, don't you think?"

"Yeah, well, it's not going to be a big deal, son," Pops assured him. "She's just coming in to make sure everything's okay for our little lady here. It's part of her job."

Booth wanted to snort in disbelief. If that was really true, where was Ms. Briggs' drive to do her job right when Temperance had been staying with the God-awful Dawson's, getting beaten up every day for their sick pleasure?

Pops, sensing that both Temperance and Booth were still unsettled about the visit from her social worker, sighed and leaned forward. "I promise, nothing bad is going to happen," he assured them quietly. "I won't let it. She's going to come over, ask a few questions, and leave."

Lunch wasn't as pleasant as Booth had hoped it'd be. Temperance remained unnaturally quiet the entire time. She barely picked at her salad, and most of the fries remained untouched, turning cold and hard as time passed. Booth himself didn't really enjoy what would have been an amazing burger, barely tasting it on his tongue.

Jared sighed when the four of them finally made their way out of the diner. "The two of you are acting like we're heading for the firing squad or something," he complained, annoyed at the somber atmosphere. "Would you relax?"

Booth shot his little brother a look. "Jared, you wouldn't understand, okay?" he exhaled loudly. "Just…Shush."

Jared glared at Booth. _Why does he always do that?_ Jared complained in his mind. _Just because he's older doesn't mean he knows better_.

When they pulled up in their driveway, they were surprised to see Ms. Briggs already there, leaning against a silver car parked in front of the house.

Temperance felt her heart racing madly, her mind warring dangerously with her heart. She was feeling mostly dread and fear and her heart desperately wanted her to take the flight option, but her mind was screaming at her, telling her that if there was anything she had learnt in the past year, it was that she was stronger than she thought she was.

She had survived the terror of living in an abusive household. She had gone through the hardships of being a social outcast numerous times. She had overcome the terrifying notion of being in love for the very first – and, she dearly hoped so, the only – time.

She could handle a simple visit from her social worker.

Even so, when she'd stepped out of the vehicle, she had to fight the urge to grab Booth's hand. She wasn't sure if it was a normal thing for foster siblings to be that close. Her past foster siblings had rarely been even the slightest bit friendly to her. She would've gotten in trouble with them if she had ever tried grabbing their hands.

"Temperance," Ms. Briggs smiled brightly as she approached them. "It's really good to see you again."

Temperance managed a stiff nod in her direction.

Ms. Briggs didn't seem deterred by this at all. In fact, her smile might've gotten brighter. "You look really good," she commented before moving her attention to Pops. "Mr. Booth," she grinned as she reached out to shake his hand. "Nice to see you again."

"You, too, Ms. Briggs," he smiled back. "Aren't you going to tell me how good I look?"

Booth had to roll his eyes when he saw Ms. Briggs blush. It was incredibly strange for him – first hearing her call Pops 'Mr. Booth', which jolted him a little because he was so used to calling Pops just that and not anything else, then seeing Pops flirting so blatantly with a woman decades younger than he was.

_I guess it's good to know that he's still got it at his age_, Booth mused. _At least I'll know the Booth charm will survive aging. If it's genetic – and I'm pretty sure it is – then I'd probably be as charming when I'm someone else's Pops, too_.

"Aw, look at you, charmer," Ms. Briggs giggled, making Jared fake gag behind Pops' back.

Pops clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a quick glare, a silent reminder to behave himself.

Ms. Briggs either didn't catch Jared's actions or chose to ignore it, turning to look at Booth instead. "Seeley-oh!" she caught herself. "Booth, right? I'm sorry, it slipped my mind. How've you been?"

He shook her hand. "Good," was his only reply.

Ms. Briggs' eyebrows went up. "Firm handshake," she commented.

Booth stared at her blankly.

Pops cleared his throat. "How about we move this little get together inside?" he asked, trying to diffuse the slight tension in the air.

Ms. Briggs smiled gratefully. "That would be great," she accepted, turning to follow Pops up to the porch.

Booth, Temperance and Jared trailed after the two of them, keeping a few feet of distance between them and the adults.

"I don't know what you guys are so worried about," Jared whispered to Temperance and his brother. "She seems nice."

"Appearances are deceiving," Booth whispered back dramatically.

Jared rolled his eyes. "_Wow_," he exaggerated the pronunciation. "You are _paranoid_."

"Would you like something to drink?" Pops asked as he gestured for Ms. Briggs to have a seat on the couch.

She smiled, thanking him, and shrugged off her coat as she made her way to the three-seater.

"Some water would be fine," Ms. Briggs said.

Pops raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you wouldn't like some coffee instead?" he asked. "I was just about to put a pot on for myself."

She smiled. "If it isn't too much of a problem," she replied modestly.

"Not at all," Pops said. "You just sit there. I'll be in the kitchen."

Ms. Briggs watched as Pops leave the room to go to the kitchen. She turned back to face the teenagers.

Jared had taken the armchair, sprawled across it horizontally, his legs draped over an arm as he fiddled with the TV remote. Booth and Temperance had taken the loveseat, an awkward distance between them as they sat ramrod straight, their hands placed in each of their laps.

"So did you just come back from church?" Ms. Briggs asked, her eyes fixed on Temperance. "Mr. Booth informed me yesterday that you would be going with him and his grandsons this morning."

Temperance nodded once. "Yes, we did," she answered quietly.

Ms. Briggs took in the differences in the young woman before her since the last time they had seen each other a few months back.

Unlike the previous times before when Temperance had been in the presence of Ms. Briggs, she met the woman's eyes confidently. Her spine was straight and she wasn't hunched over, avoiding everyone's gaze.

And despite the distance between her and her foster brother Booth, there was still a comfortable air around them, letting her know that they weren't usually this awkward together.

"That must be nice," Ms. Briggs continued. "I know how important it is to hold onto your faith."

Temperance blinked at her. "I'm not religious," she informed Ms. Briggs. "I'm an atheist."

"Oh."

They sat in awkward silence for a few long moments before Ms. Briggs stood up.

Jared looked at her. "Are you leaving?" he asked.

Booth had to stop himself from slapping his forehead. Sometimes he thought Jared was getting a lesson in bluntness from Temperance.

Thankfully, Ms. Briggs didn't seem like she took offense to that. She laughed lightly. "No, I'm not…Jerry, was it?" she narrowed her eyes as she tried to remember his name.

Jared scowled. "Jared," he corrected her sulkily, throwing Booth a glare when he snickered.

Ms. Briggs gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I'm not that good with names sometimes," she said before turning to Temperance. "How about you show me around? I think I've forgotten what this place looks like…We can talk while we walk."

Temperance blinked up at her, looking nervous as her mask cracked for the first time since Ms. Briggs had seen her that day. "But…What about coffee?" she asked, keeping her voice steady at least.

Ms. Briggs waved her hand dismissively. "We'll come back down later. This won't take long," she promised genially.

Temperance wasn't appeased as Ms. Briggs had hoped. "Can Booth come?" she asked, looking over at her boyfriend who was nodding now, agreeing to follow the two of them.

"We'll meet up with Booth and Jared in the kitchen after you show me around," Ms. Briggs said. "How about that?"

Her tone made it clear that she expected Temperance to stop questioning her and just do as she was asked.

Temperance sighed, standing up as well.

"Why don't you show me your room again?" Ms. Briggs asked. "That's upstairs, right?"

While Ms. Briggs' back was to them as she headed for the stairs, Booth reached out to take Temperance's hand. When she turned her head to give him a small smile, he bent his head to press a kiss to the back of her fingers.

Ms. Briggs asked Temperance easy questions about her life with the Booths – if she liked staying with them, if they treated her right, if she got along with Booth and Jared and if she found living in a house with three males and no females uncomfortable in any way.

They took a quick look around Temperance's bedroom – where Ms. Briggs commented that her room looked exactly the same as it did the first time she'd seen it, not a speck of dirt in sight, and praised her on her good grades when she caught sight of Temperance's English paper – before making their way back downstairs.

On the way back down the stairs, Temperance noticed that Birdie had appeared and was now laying down comfortably on one of the steps. "Oh," Ms. Briggs exclaimed, surprised at the sight. "I don't remember the Booths having a cat."

"They didn't," Temperance clarified, smiling down at Birdie and bending to give him a quick, affectionate scratch. The sight of her feline friend was already making her feel better. "Birdie's a new addition."

Ms. Briggs witnessed Temperance's interactions with Birdie and smiled when she heard Temperance chuckle slightly when Birdie licked her palm. It was the first time Ms. Briggs had heard a genuine laugh from the usually solemn girl. "Oh. How do you like having Birdie around?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Birdie's great," Temperance answered without pause. "I'm glad Pops said he could stay."

Ms. Briggs lifted an eyebrow at this. "Was it you who introduced Birdie to the family?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, well, no, not really," Temperance tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "All of us found him on the front porch one night…" She nervously wondered if social services had control over household pets kept in foster homes.

Entering the kitchen, Temperance immediately made her way to Booth's side. Even though Ms. Briggs' visit had been sort of pleasant so far, she still felt the same exhaustion that seemed to creep in anytime she was anywhere near something involving the foster system.

Booth could tell she needed some support and discreetly placed his hand on the small of her back, rubbing small circles with his thumb.

"There you guys are!" Pops smiled, handing Ms. Briggs a mug. "Coffee's all done. Here…"

Ms. Briggs laughed slightly and nodded, thanking Pops as he poured her fresh coffee from the pot.

While Ms. Briggs was distracted, Booth leaned down to whisper in Temperance's ear, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, shooting him a small, grateful smile. "I'm fine," she murmured.

Even if she wanted to say something more, she couldn't as Ms. Briggs had looked up again, her eyes finding Temperance. Booth kept his hand on her back, a show of silent support.

"Do you want one of these mini lava cakes?" Pops asked, pointing to the plate on the kitchen aisle. "I just warmed it up." Without waiting for her reply, Pops grabbed a clean plate and placed one of the lava cakes on it, handing it to her.

Ms. Briggs smiled politely, spearing the fork she was given into the cake. She popped the piece of cake into her mouth out of courtesy, not wanting to offend anyone but not expecting anything great either. She was pleasantly surprised when she tasted the dessert, however.

"Wow! This is incredible!" she gushed, cutting another piece with her fork. "Where did you get this?"

"Tempe made it, actually," Pops said, nodding at Temperance. "She bakes sometimes on the weekend. She made it for dessert last night."

Ms. Briggs turned interested eyes on Temperance. "Oh! Well, you're very talented, Temperance," she praised. "Maybe you could open a bakery one day."

Temperance blanched at the thought. It wasn't a horrible career, to be a businesswoman and start a company from scratch. It was pretty admirable, actually, but it was so far away from what she desired to do with her life that it made her grimace badly.

"What, did I say something wrong?" Ms. Briggs asked, noticing Temperance's frown.

Temperance shook her head as Booth spoke, "She's going to be a scientist."

"A scientist?"

"Forensic anthropologist, actually," Temperance corrected, earning an encouraging smile from Booth. "I like baking as a hobby but science is my real talent."

"Oh, wow – ambitious," Ms. Briggs commented.

"She can do it," Booth defended.

Ms. Briggs laughed slightly, holding up her hands in an act of defense. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it," she apologized. Her watchful eyes took in Booth's tensed shoulders relax minimally as he turned to look at Temperance and saw her soothing smile. "The two of you are pretty close, huh?"

Booth and Temperance both stiffened at that.

Jared, in the meantime, snorted with laughter. Since his brother and Temperance were both too flabbergasted to answer Ms. Briggs, Jared took the chance to answer for them. "Oh, the closest," he agreed with a sly smile. "They're always together. They go to school together, do their homework together, hang out together…Sometimes they even eat dinner outside together."

Booth snapped out of it long enough to laugh nervously, shooting daggers at Jared. Pops was busy trying to hide his snickers, his face twisted in a strange combination of panic and amusement. "With our other friends," he added as a clarification. "Nothing wrong with hanging out with a group of friends."

"Really? What other friends?" Jared asked with a pretend thoughtful look on his face. "I thought the two of you didn't have friends in the same-"

Temperance grabbed a muffin from the basket that Debbie had sent over recently, stuffing it into Jared's mouth. "Have a muffin," she said, smiling through clenched teeth. "You look hungry."

Ms. Briggs seemed confused by their behavior. Shaking her head, she stammered at first, "Uh…Well, what I meant to say was…Temperance has already expressed how much she enjoys living here," she regained her composure. "I was just wondering if you boys feel the same."

"Oh, I like having her around," Jared assured Ms. Briggs. Then, leaning forward and whispering as though about to impart some great secret to her, he said, "Not as much as Seeley does, though."

"Whoa – Pops!" Booth said suddenly. "Don't you wanna show Ms. Briggs…That thing that you wanted to show her?" he asked, making it up on the spot.

Pops, who had been laughing into his coffee, looked up then. "Oh, no – don't drag me into this," he warned, his voice shaking with humor.

Booth gave him a pleading look, making Pops sigh.

"How about we go to the backyard?" he offered Ms. Briggs. "Maybe by the time we get back, these three would be back to normal."

Confused as she was, Ms. Briggs laughed slightly and nodded, following Pops out to the Booth's insignificant backyard.

"Why did you ask Pops and Ms. Briggs to leave?" Temperance asked.

Booth raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you kidding me?" he asked incredulously. "Am I the only one with the desperate need to strangle Jared right now?"

"No," she answered truthfully, making Booth smile and Jared glower. "But _we_ could have just left the table."

Booth shook his head. "Naw, that would've been too obvious," he said dismissively.

Jared snorted. "Yeah, because kicking out Pops and that lady was _real_ subtle," he mockingly gave Booth a thumbs up.

Booth imitated an amused laugh before pulling Jared's arm, hauling him off his stool. "Okay," he said, glaring at Jared even as a mock friendly smile was spread across his lips. "What is it gonna take for you to shut up and behave while Ms. Briggs is here?"

Jared thought about it for a long while. He was having fun teasing Booth and Temperance and he wasn't sure he wanted to give it up.

He rarely had the chance to do so.

He didn't go to the same school as them so he couldn't do it at school. He used to do the same thing whenever Cam came by but now she knew the big secret so there was no point. This was a golden opportunity for him.

Then again, as he looked at Temperance and saw her pleading blue eyes, he had to relent.

He had to admit that if he took things too far and Ms. Briggs caught on, it could mean trouble for Temperance and that was the last thing he wanted. Not only could she be taken away to be placed in another home, she might be placed somewhere far away from them.

He sighed inwardly, knowing that he had to stop dropping hints about Booth and Temperance's relationship to Ms. Briggs.

Still, he could have a little fun with this.

Narrowing his eyes at Booth, he answered, "A kiss from Temperance." He threw Temperance a huge, cocky grin.

Temperance blushed and rolled her eyes.

Booth placed his hand over Jared's face, gently pushing it away slightly. "Yeah – not gonna happen," he said snarkily. Jared shoved Booth's hand away from his face. "How about twenty bucks?"

"Deal," Jared replied quickly.

Booth shook his head, taking out his wallet and pushing a twenty into Jared's palm. "Now sit there and act like a normal boy, Jared," Booth taunted, causing Temperance to slap him on the arm.

"Be nice to him, Booth," she chided.

Booth scowled at her. "He was practically blackmailing me!" he pointed out indignantly. "How come you didn't slap him?"

Jared couldn't help but tease, "She just likes me better."

"Ha!" Booth scoffed. "You wish."

Hearing Pops' and Ms. Briggs voices drawing closer, the three of them scrambled back to their seats.

The two adults entered the kitchen through the back door to find the three kids sitting quietly at the kitchen aisle. Booth and Jared were stuffing their faces with lava cakes while Temperance was sitting regally in her chair, elegantly sipping from her own mug of coffee.

Ms. Briggs didn't stay for long afterwards, only sticking around to ask a few more questions.

After she had left, Booth and Temperance finally relaxed. "God, she took forever to leave," Booth grumbled.

Temperance, who was still a little taken aback by Ms. Briggs' sudden reappearance after months of not seeing her social worker, remained silent as she nodded her agreement.

Jared, taking out the twenty dollar bill he'd stuffed in his pocket, held it up. "I'm gonna go to Marnie's," he said, referring to the toy store a few blocks away. "See what I can get with this."

Pops headed upstairs, muttering something about backaches and how 'back in the day', he could've ran an entire obstacle course and still be fit enough to throw a football with his friends.

Booth drew Temperance into his arms, pressing little kisses all over her face and hair. "Are you okay?" he asked her. "Really okay?"

She sighed, nodding as she curled her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest. "I'm fine," she nuzzled her nose into his chest, breathing in his scent. "I guess I should've expected her. It's routine, you know? I guess I've just been so caught up with living here…It's been so great."

She lifted her head, resting her chin on his chest. "_You've_ been so great," she murmured, smiling softly as she reached up to cup his cheek lovingly. "It's easy to forget that I'm not really part of the family, just a foster child."

His hiss was sharp. "Hey, stop that," he chided her immediately, his tone still gentle the way it almost always was whenever he spoke to her. "No matter how you came to be a part of our lives, you've been a part of our family ever since. Okay? I don't ever wanna hear you say something like that again."

His vehemence on the matter had been so strong that it took her aback. "Okay, I won't," she promised.

He nodded, cupping her face in his large hands, tilting her head back and leaning down to capture her lips in a sweet, passionate kiss.

He had set her heart racing, a certain pleasant warmth spreading from her heart to the tips of her toes. She knew it wasn't just because of his kiss, though she was still unused to the spark that came about from their lips moving against each other in tandem. His words, and how he clearly meant them to the fullest, had moved her to near tears.

To hide her reaction, she squeezed her eyes shut and threw herself wholeheartedly into their embrace.

* * *

><p><em>October 28, 1991<em>.

"You know, we should've gone out yesterday," Temperance said to Booth as he drove towards an undisclosed location for their dinner.

He gave her a brief, patient look before turning his attention back on the road ahead. "Yesterday wasn't our sixth month anniversary," he reminded her. "Today is."

She nodded. "Yes, but yesterday was a weekend," she sighed. "We can't stay out late tonight. I don't want to be late for school tomorrow morning."

Booth hid a sly grin. She always said that whenever they went out on a weekday – these days it was all about grabbing the chance to go out together on the rare day off, and that sometimes meant smack dab in the middle of the week – and he'd always manage to convince her to stay out longer than she originally wanted to.

Even if she was spectacularly logical most of the time, she was still a teenager, after all, and it wasn't hard to plead his case when she was as ravaged by hormones as he was.

"Of course, Bones," he said smoothly, just like he did every time she'd tell him they had to be home early. "I just thought, you know, this is a special occasion."

She rolled her eyes. "You say that every month," she scoffed, even as she smiled softly at the thought of the fresh bouquet of daffodils she had in a vase on her bedside table at home.

He shook his head. "This is different," he insisted. "We made the six month mark. It's a cause for celebration."

She was pretty sure he was making this up, but she laughed anyway at his excitement. She loved how his chocolate brown eyes glowed when he was this happy. She loved it even more than she was the only reason they ever got that way.

"Is that why you insisted I wear this dress?" she asked, fingering the hem of the dark midnight blue dress he'd pulled out of her closet and pushed into her arms as she was deciding on her clothes for the evening.

Booth fought back a slight blush. "Nah," he grinned impishly. "I just like how low cut that dress is."

She glowered, pulling her coat tighter around her body self-consciously. "Booth!" she huffed. She rolled her eyes at his laughter. _Where was the prudish boy who blushed at the mere mention of anything sexual? Perhaps his inhibitions are lowered due to our foray into sex itself_, she mused to herself.

"Won't you tell me where we're going?" she asked him curiously. She already knew he'd refuse – she'd asked him before, after all, in an attempt to find something appropriate to wear for where they were going. It was the reason why Booth had been 'helping' her find something to wear in the first place.

He shook his head. "It's a surprise," he told her. _An expensive one_, he couldn't help but think. He was half horrified at how much he was spending on their sixth month anniversary and half proud of how hard he'd worked to save up enough money for it. "We're reaching soon, I promise."

She grumbled good-naturedly about him having said that twenty minutes ago and fiddled with the radio dial for a while. She hadn't noticed they'd arrived at their destination until he'd parked his car in the lot in front of the restaurant and turned off the engine.

She looked up and, at the sight of the lit red, cursive sign, her jaw dropped. "Breadstix?" she turned wide eyes to him. "Booth…This is really lavish. We don't have to have dinner here…"

He felt a slight bruise to his ego, but merely smiled and shook his head. "Yes, we do," he insisted.

Temperance stared at him, her heart thumping fast. Breadstix was a pretty swanky restaurant catering to teenagers and young adults mostly. Not a lot of their peers could afford going there on a normal night, and this was often the place reserved for special occasions like junior prom dinner, where a large crowd of people would go together, going Dutch over the bill – even _she_ knew that.

She knew that the restaurant was out of their price range, as well, and she was equal parts flattered and worried that he'd chosen to bring her there tonight. "Booth…"

He sighed. Reaching out, he twined his fingers with hers and brought the back of her hand to his lips. "Bones, trust me, okay?" he murmured softly.

She bit her lip but nodded her head hesitantly anyway. "Okay," she answered as quietly.

He smiled, brushed another kiss to her knuckles and hurried out of the car, swiping the car keys out of ignition on the way. He rushed to her side of the car, and she'd of course already opened the door, but he held out of his hand for her to take anyway as she stepped out of the vehicle, and he closed the door for her, ignoring her glare.

They walked arm in arm towards the restaurant's entrance. The host at the front was a boy just a couple of years older than them, and he gave Temperance an appreciative look Booth didn't like one bit.

_Maybe I didn't think this 'Bones-wearing-a-sexy-dress' thing through_, he thought irritably as he watched the boy standing behind the podium.

Temperance, Booth was pleased to note, seemed oblivious to the host's leering stare, her eyes focused on Booth's face. Her eyebrows were crinkled as she gazed at Booth, glossy pink lips pursed into a frown as she wondered why he looked so upset.

"We have a reservation," he all but growled at the host, who, startled at the gruff voice, nearly jumped out of his skin. His eyes trailed from the beautiful Temperance to the boy whose arm she was hanging off of, and they widened comically – the host was quite scrawny, especially in comparison to athlete Booth. "It's under the name 'Booth'."

The host, flushing scarlet when he noticed the knowing glare Booth sent his way (coupled with the way Booth brought Temperance closer to him, arm wrapped possessively around her waist), nodded and flipped through the reservation book in front of him.

"Booth…" he said, eyes scanning the page for longer than necessary, making Booth frown at the thought of there being a mix-up. _That_ would be embarrassing. Finally, however, the host nodded. "Yes, it's here. Your table is ready for you…Sir."

Booth towered over the host as he led the couple towards their private booth. Booth bit out a thank you to him as they slid into their seats, Temperance smiling friendlily. The host seemed to regain some of his confidence at Temperance's brilliant smile, and walked away reluctantly after placing two menus on the table top and informing them that their waitress would be by soon.

Temperance swiped the menu, her eyes scanning for the price more than the food itself. "Wow," she murmured, taking in the heavy price for a salad alone. "Are you sure…?"

Already knowing what she was going to say, Booth sighed and gave her an annoyed look. "Bones, I'm sure," he said firmly.

She looked at him worriedly. "But it's _really_ expensive…" she trailed off.

He didn't know whether to be flattered she was so worried about him or irritated that she kept bringing it up. "Bones, really," he shook his head. Lowering his voice and leaning forward slightly towards her, he whispered, "I saved up for tonight. Please. Just…Forget about the price. Order anything you want. Okay?"

She chewed on the corner of her bottom lip as she nodded, agreeing reluctantly. Even then, she waited until he'd chosen his choice of dinner before making her choice.

"Booth?" she voiced after the waitress had left their table after delivering their food. He was wary she would bring up the subject of money again but she surprised him by asking instead, "Aren't you worried that one of your friends might see us here?"

His tensed shoulders relaxed minimally. "Oh, well, no," he gave her a smile. "There's some big party John's throwing. Everyone's there tonight. Convenient but totally co-incidental."

Something in his tone made her wonder if it really was co-incidental. "A party?" she wondered. "Why aren't you there if all of your friends are?"

She looked worried, as though she was concerned that she was taking his time away from his friends.

Booth shrugged. "It's our anniversary, Bones," he said gently, as though that explained everything. "A party with them is meaningless. _This_ is a thousand times better."

She didn't look entirely convinced by that – after all, 'this' was only just a dinner with the girl he actually lived with – but she blushed shyly anyway and dropped her gaze to her risotto.

Trailing her eyes back to him after a few silent bites, she asked him with an almost smirk, "Are we going to the lake after dinner?"

Her question might seem innocent to an outsider but her tone had far too much loaded meaning in it for him not to take note. "Sure," he choked on his steak. "Yeah…Okay, that sounds great."

Her lips curved into a devious smirk as their eyes locked in a heated glance. His brain was scrambled as he gazed into her darkening blue eyes. His breath came out a little too shallow and his heart sped a little too fast.

The moment her gaze slid away, his senses came back to him. Shaking his head, Booth took in a deep, somewhat calming breath. "Wait – no," he corrected himself.

She looked up, eyebrow quirked. "No?" she sounded incredulous. "Really?"

Smiling, and knowing exactly why that little pout had formed on her lips and the flash of hurt and confusion had flared in her eyes, he leaned close towards her. Her body reciprocated the movement without her notice.

He gently, lightly, brushed the back of his finger down her cheek and along her jaw line before reached for one of her hands. "Oh, I want to," he murmured to her in a low, heated voice that sent shivers down her spine and a thrill of anticipation all the way down to her toes. "Believe me, I do."

He squeezed her hand before releasing it, leaning back in his chair. "But I've got something else planned for tonight," he informed her.

Her brows furrowed together and she stared at him uncomprehendingly. "But I thought we were celebrating tonight?" she asked him, a bewildered edge to her voice. "Isn't it customary for a couple to have intercourse as a form of celebration?"

He blushed a deep scarlet and couldn't bring himself to look into her azure eyes for a few seconds while he sipped at his drink and collected his composure. Once his face wasn't as red, he locked gazes with her. "Yes, it is," he answered in a surprisingly smooth voice. "And I'm not saying we're not going to tonight. I'm just saying we're not going to the lake. At least, not right after dinner. We can go afterwards if you'd like - and if we have time."

"Afterwards?" she questioned. "What do you have planned after dinner?"

He only gave her a boyish grin.

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help her lips from tugging upwards. "Let me guess," she said wryly. "Another surprise?"

"Mm-hmm."

She sighed, as though this greatly troubled her even if they both knew better.

Their dinner, just like Booth had predicted, went by smoothly, without any interruptions from people who knew them and were surprised that they were out on a date together.

The restaurant had slightly dimmed lighting and the waitress had lit the candles on their table, making it seem even more romantic. Booth laid on his charm twice as much as usual, and gave himself a mental pat on the back each time he made her blush. When the waitress had left with their empty plates and promised their dessert would be by soon, Booth switched places from sitting opposite her to right next to her. He took the opportunity of the wait to hold her close to him, his arm around her and his other hand trailing up her arm, cupping her neck, dragging through her soft hair and tracing circles on her back.

The waitress looked slightly uncomfortable as she returned with their dessert – a chocolate éclair and apiece of apple crumble pie – interrupting their intimate moment as Booth whispered sweet nothings into Temperance's ear and littered lingering kisses onto the side of her neck.

Temperance sulked when he wouldn't let her pay for half of dinner and they fell into the same argument about how he felt the man should always pay and how she thought he was being incredibly sexist and backwards, an argument they'd had without fail every time they ate out.

Their bickering disappeared the moment the cool Chicago air hit them as they exited the restaurant. Instead, Booth wrapped his arm around Temperance's waist and pulled her close enough to share their body warmth. She cuddled close, sighing contentedly as she rested her head against his chest.

Like Breadstix before, he refused to tell her where they were headed until they had arrived. She smiled at the looming building ahead of them. "We're watching a movie?" she asked, sounding a little surprised at this. He had made their plans after dinner sound so mysterious…Not that she didn't appreciate the gesture, but what was so mysterious about a movie? He could've just told her that.

Booth nodded. "Yeah," he took her hand and led her inside the popcorn-smelling lobby.

A boy about their age approached them immediately. He wore a red vest that showed he was clearly an employee at the theatre. He greeted Booth with a wide, friendly smile and a fist bump, though Temperance didn't recognize him at all.

She gathered he wasn't someone they went to school with when Booth slung an arm around her shoulders, pressed a kiss to her cheek and grinned at the boy whose name tag read 'Ben'. "Ben, this is my girl, Temperance," he stated proudly.

She gave Ben a polite smile and nod before turning to glare at Booth. She was nobody's girl. She supposed she could just be glad he hadn't introduced her as 'Bones'.

Ben grinned at Temperance for a moment. "It's nice to meet you," he shook her hand. "Seeley gushes about you every time we see each other."

Booth blushed and scowled at his friend. "I don't _gush_, Ben," he grunted.

Ben and Temperance shared a laugh. "Sure, sure," Ben teased. He looked around discretely as though worried someone might overhear. "So I pulled off what you asked without anyone noticing."

Temperance's smile slipped into a frown. "What did you ask?" she asked, dragging her eyes towards Booth.

Booth ignored her question, eyes firmly on Ben. "Are you sure it's no trouble?" he asked, not wanting his friend to lose his job over a romantic gesture that didn't even include him.

Ben nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure," he assured Booth. "My boss isn't in, and Mondays are pretty slow around here. Theatre 3 isn't even in use for another couple of hours. Trust me, no one will notice."

Temperance eyed the two of them through narrowed, suspicious eyes. Booth twined their hands together and they followed Ben as he led the two of them past the concession counter and ticket booths, straight towards the theatres.

Reaching a door marked '3', Ben held the door open and smiled at them. "I'm locking the door from outside so no one can come in," he warned them. "I'll be back in two and a half hours. Is that okay?"

Booth nodded. "Thanks, man," he clapped Ben on the back. "I owe you one."

Ben waved his hand. "Nah, man, just consider us even," he assured Booth. He let the couple pass before swinging the door shut.

Booth and Temperance heard the door snap shut and the lock clicking into place.

Temperance turned inquisitive eyes to Booth. "You asked your friend to lock us in a movie theatre?" she sounded baffled.

He grinned. "Yes," he replied.

She looked as though she was questioning his sanity. "Whatever for?"

He led her towards the very front of the theatre, past all the rows of seats, and when they reached the empty space before the large screen, she noticed that there was a red, green and blue checked blanket laid on the ground, and a picnic basket on it, both of which she recognized.

She was startled when the screen came to life. There were no previews and she recognized the beginning of her new favorite movie. Ever since it had come out a couple of months ago, she'd gotten hooked and dragged Booth to watch it every chance they could. He'd gotten bored of it, she knew, but she couldn't help herself. It was a good movie.

"What did you do?" she asked.

He smiled handsomely. "You love this movie," he stated unnecessarily. "I wanted to make you happy."

For some reason, that simple statement, couple with this sweet gesture, made her tear up. She stepped into his arms, and sniffled into his chest. He chuckled softly, lightly stroking her hair as he held her.

"Come on," he said a few minutes later. "We're missing the beginning." Not that it mattered, mind you, but she'd still be disappointed by it later and he knew that.

For the first time in the many times they'd watch the movie, her eyes were riveted on Booth instead of the screen. She watched as he poured sparkling apple juice into plastic wine glasses, and brought out her favourite cheese cubes, fresh grapes on the side. She watched as he smiled at her fondly, handing her the glass of sparkling juice. She watched as he reclined, arms stretched behind him and palms flat on the floor, his shirt stretching over his slim but muscular body.

He felt her gaze from the beginning and, a minute of watching the same characters on screen for the millionth time, he turned his head to look at her. "What's the matter?" he asked her. "Do you not like this surprise? Did I do it wrong?"

She smiled and shook her head, placing her glass aside. "No, you're perfect," she said earnestly.

He grinned blushingly, reaching for her. She shuffled closer to him, eagerly wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning into his kiss.

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><p><strong>PLEASE DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU ARE BELOW THE AGE OF 16.<strong>

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><p>She adored his kisses. His hands would slide into her hair and cup the sides of her head, and his tongue would slip into her mouth, and then she'd feel things her mother had once spun fairy tales about but she'd never believed before him. She'd feel warm and tingly and safe and daring and perfectly loved, and all she wanted to do was get closer, get deeper, get hotter.<p>

She felt the vibrations against her lips when he transferred a moan from his mouth to hers, and then in one swift move, he had hauled her onto his lap as gently as he could in the heat of the moment. She tore her lips from his, panting hard, her skin flushed warm, and her mind completely hazy, as his large hands explored her body, roaming down her sides and up her back and his fingers tangling in her hair to gently tug her head back, his lips falling onto her throat.

When he touched her like this, everything felt like it was in a red, dizzying haze, and she'd get frenzied, wanting his clothes off, wanting him to tug _her_ clothes off her body, and she couldn't think straight. She both loathed losing control of her senses so entirely, and loved it, unable to get enough of it.

"Booth," her voice came out a harsh pant, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as his lips drew lower, mouth hot against her bare curves, his hands tugging the straps of her dress down her arms. "Oh…"

He hummed in pleasure, loving the taste of her skin – whenever they went on their special anniversary dates, even if she claimed it was ridiculous, she'd slather something different all over her body. It was this sweet-smelling, even sweeter-tasting strawberry lotion and he absolutely loved running his lips all over her to taste more of it.

Her dress had ridden up on her thighs as she straddled him, and his hands eagerly explored the soft, milky skin of her legs, running them further up and pushing her dress up further until they bunched around her hips. He pulled her closer, one hand pressing against her lower back until she was fitted snugly against him.

"Booth," the whisper fell from her lips again and he had to close his eyes to control his trembling body some as her nimble fingers worked the buttons of his shirt, deftly flicking them open one by one until his shirt parted, then pushing them past his shoulders and down her arms. He shucked the shirt off, and shivered when she tugged the undershirt he wore up over his head.

She curved her body into his and bowed her head, her lips attaching to his neck as she sucked feverishly. "Ah, jeez, Bones…" he moaned, his hands smoothing up and down her back over and over again. He felt the desperate urge to feel her naked skin, and with a swift tug, he rid her of her dress and tossed it to the side.

Her lips reattached themselves to his neck and he bent his head, pressing heated kisses all over her chest, his fingers reaching to unclasp her bra. He quickly tossed that aside, as well, and his hands drew back to her body as though magnetized, and cupped her curves deliciously. He wasn't sure which was hotter in temperature – his hands, or her body.

Her hands were trailing down his torso and he didn't realize what she wanted until her fingers were unbuttoning his jeans and tugging his zipper down impatiently. She lifted herself up on her knees, and her chest was level to his mouth. He leaned forward, wrapping his lips around one perfectly round globe eagerly, but she was tugging at his pants, urging him silently to push down his pants. Groaning slightly, he lifted himself off the floor, and their hips brushed tantalizingly against one another. She quickly pushed his jeans and boxers down his hips and kept her weight off of him only long enough to slide them down his legs.

Booth toed off his pants and boxers the rest of the way down his legs and shook them off his legs. Reaching down, Booth gripped the soft material of her thin lace panties. Even through the fabric, her heat felt incredible against him, sending pleasure thrills to shoot up and down his spine and down his front, straight to his groin. With a sharp tug, he ripped the material. Temperance gasped, tearing her mouth away from his when she felt the sharp sting against her skin. The pain was momentary, and her head fell back on a gasp when she felt his fingers tracing her, probing her, drawing circles on her tender flesh.

She crushed her chest to his, panting hard in his ear as her hips ground into his on their own volition. She couldn't seem to get enough sense to control her body, to slow down. She didn't know why, but she knew that it had happened before. She suspected it was merely teenage hormones, coupled with her genuine, strong feelings for Booth. It scared her that he could make her lose control like this but she seemed to have the same effect on him.

It was due to their incredible lack of sense that they didn't stop to consider the one thing they almost always did – protection. Booth wrapped his large hands around her hips and Temperance moved with him, making these kittenish whimpers that drove Booth absolutely wild as she slowly sunk down on him.

"Oh, damn, damn, baby," Booth ground out, jaw clenched tightly as their hips thrust together slowly.

They had never had sex like this before – with her straddling him and taking the reigns by taking him in, rising up then sinking back down on him – and the new position was making his head spin a little as he crushed her body to his and leaned his head down slightly, tongue wrapped around one tightened pink nub and tugging hard.

Then there was the fact that he was surrounded by her naked heat and the feeling was indescribable to him, more than he could put into words. He had a feeling that he could stay just like this for the rest of his life and never want to leave.

He was pulsing hard and his stomach was tightening, and she was making that noise which meant that she was close to falling off the precipice. Knowing that if she fell into oblivion, he would have no way of stopping himself from following, he pulled out of her and forced every muscle in his body to stay that way, fingers gripping her hips to stop her from sinking down on him again.

"Booth," Temperance breathed out, blue eyes slowly drifting open, gazing at him confusedly. "Wha…?"

"Protection, babe," he told her, hating that he had even thought of that in the middle of their lovemaking but knowing that he'd thank himself later when they didn't have to deal with terrifying consequences at a much-too-young age.

Temperance squeezed her eyes shut and placed a hand on her sweaty forehead. "Oh, God. Oh, God," she mumbled. "Of course. Damn…I can't believe we forgot."

She climbed off his lap and moved to his side so he could reach for his jeans to get the condom.

Booth wanted to cry.

Hurriedly, he snatched his jeans off the floor, the denim tangled together with his Snoopy boxers, and practically ripped open his wallet to look for the foil packages he kept there. Even in his frenzied state, however, he managed to tease her, "_You_ forgot. _I_ remembered."

She didn't answer, just glared at him.

The moment there was a foil square in his hands, she snatched it up. Tearing the packet open, she rolled the condom onto Booth, and he throbbed hard. She climbed back onto his lap.

"Shut up, Booth," she murmured into his mouth, sinking back down on him.

They picked up right where they left off, even if their actions were just a tad less frantic the first few seconds. But then he had wrapped an arm around her back, one hand pressed into her hip, and his fingers were gripping her hair, moving all of it to one side as his lips fell on the exposed skin, sucking on one spot until there was a reddish, purplish mark then moving onto another unblemished spot to rectify that. She gasped and moaned and rocked feverishly into him, her fingers pressing hard into his shoulder blades, her nails digging into his skin.

He didn't register the pain at all, his lips tearing away from the reddening skin of her neck as his hands came up to her front, sliding up her flat tummy to cup her breasts. His thumbs brushed at her nipples, swiping once, twice, and her nails dug harder into his shoulders as she let out a keening moan.

He felt her flooding around him pulsing and clenching, and it made him spin endlessly into oblivion.

He blinked a few times when he landed in reality once more. His forehead dropped on her shoulder, and she was holding him close, her body curved into his so that there wasn't even an inch of space between them. Her nose was pressed to the back of his neck, her hands running circuits all over his back.

Booth sighed happily, turning his head to nuzzle the side of her neck. He saw the marks he'd left on her previously perfectly milky skin and grinned in male pride. She'd berate him for a long time later when she found out about the hickeys he'd given her, but it was worth it. He pressed tiny kisses on her collarbone.

It took a while for his racing heart to calm and when it finally did, he realized he was still seated deep inside of her. Hands secured on her back to support her, he shifted them both so that she was lying down and he was hovering above her, his weight pressed lightly onto her. With a deep groan, he slowly pulled out of her, one hand between them so he could carefully remove the condom.

Temperance was gazing at him with that pleased, lazy cat-ate-the-canary smile he'd only ever seen on her after they'd made love. When he placed his jacket over her naked body, she arched her back slightly in a full body stretch and sighed contentedly. Booth chuckled, settling next to her on his side, his hand cupping his head as he gazed at her.

"Happy, Bones?"

"Mm," she hummed, smiling wider. "Very happy…I'm pretty sure that's because of the endorphins released during coitus but I'm quite comfortable saying that a part of it probably has something to do with the deep emotional bond I share with you, as well."

He grinned at her. He'd learned long ago how to decipher Bones-speak so he leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to her nose. "I love you, too, Bones," he whispered, enjoying the blush that immediately spread across her face, darkening her still-flushed cheeks. He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, as well, before lightly brushing his lips against hers.

What he'd intended as a simple, light kiss turned into something more, their recently-dimmed desire re-igniting with a passion, their lips fusing together heatedly, tongue tangling and hands wandering.

Booth pulled himself away from Temperance just as she was about to hitch her leg around his hip. "Oh, wait, wait," he was grinning as he pressed a loud, smacking kiss to her lips and rolled off of her.

Temperance huffed impatiently. "What is it, Booth?" she asked, not at all pleased that he'd interrupted what was turning out to be the second round of their lovemaking.

"I have a present for you," he told her.

Temperance raised an eyebrow. Eyeing his hardened member, she asked him, "Do you often refer to your erection as a 'present', Booth?"

He blanched a little then turned to give her a glare. "Bones!" he gritted out, mortified. She suppressed a laugh. "I didn't mean…_That_, okay?"

Shaking his head and muttering under his breath about clueless hormone-riddled future scientists, he pulled a rectangular gray jewelry box out of his inside coat pocket. He turned back to her to find that she had put on his shirt, buttoning it up almost all the way to the top, and she was now sitting on her knees, staring at him curiously.

He was both disappointed that she wasn't naked anymore and relieved they wouldn't be doing this nude. It didn't seem right in his mind to give her a gift when they were as naked as the day they were born.

Handing the box to her, he told her shyly, "I got this for you."

He swiftly yanked on his boxers and watched nervously as she warily opened the lid. Temperance's eyes widened as she caught sight of the necklace nestled in the purple velvet inside of the case.

"Wow…" she whispered. "Booth…" her eyes might've watered a little.

It was such a beautiful piece, and she felt completely inadequate sitting in front of him. He had spent so much on their six month anniversary. She knew no matter how much he insisted, it couldn't have been easy saving up for a romantic dinner at Breadstix, and then he'd somehow managed to pay off his friend Ben for help on the theatre surprise, and now this necklace…

She lifted her watery eyes to him. "Booth, you shouldn't have done this," she whispered.

He shuffled closer to her on his knees. "Do you like it?" he asked her quietly.

She nodded, sniffling once. "I love it, Booth," she said in a hushed tone.

He smiled, reaching out to lightly brush his finger against her cheek. "Then I did the right thing," he insisted.

He didn't let her argue, shushing her with a loving kiss then reaching for the necklace and helping her put it on, his arms around her as he clasped it around her neck. She felt the gold heart against her skin and smiled, looking down at her chest to see the pendant hanging off her neck, the locket nestled beautifully between her breasts.

"See?" Booth murmured, brushing at the gold heart, his fingers touching her skin there. "It looks perfect on you."

She gripped him by the hair, bringing his lips down to hers, and pulled him in for a deep kiss. His shirt and boxers were shed within seconds, and she was flat on her back again as he rolled another condom on himself.

As he surged into her, she placed her mouth at his ear, breathed out her gratitude towards him – for the necklace, for such a perfect night, for being such a loving boyfriend towards a girl like her who hadn't even grasped how important 'the six months mark' was to a couple, and for being _him_ – and closed her lips around his earlobe, sucking on the soft flesh as he groaned, lost in the moment.

There was ten minutes left to the movie on screen when they finally untangled their bodies and slowly got up from the wrinkled blanket on the floor. They moved silently as they picked up their clothes, putting them back on, but their eyes met every few seconds and their ever present smiles would grow larger when that happened, and sometimes small chuckles escaped their lips.

As Temperance clasped her bra back on, she caught sight of the reddened scratches on Booth's back, and the half-moon shapes on his shoulder blades. Frowning slightly, she moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his middle and crushing her chest to his back. Booth, who had been turning his inside out shirt the right way, smiled as he felt her curves and the cool bulge of her locket against his skin.

She pressed tiny kisses to the scratches and the half-moon grooves on his back. "I'm sorry," she murmured into his skin. He turned his head halfway to the back, enough for her to see the confused expression on his face. She lightly traced one of the scratches as he winced slightly, a small hiss escaping. "I hurt your back."

Booth chuckled slightly. "I'm not upset," he assured her. "The way I got those scratches more than makes up for it."

She shook her head at the wolfish grin curving on his lips. She pressed another kiss in between his shoulder blades before walking away from him. She snatched her dress off the floor and slipped it back on. Shaking out her messy hair and running her fingers through the strands to make it look more presentable, she threw him an irritated glare, toeing the ruined panties at her feet.

"I can't wear those now," she sulked.

He snorted out a laugh. "Sorry," he said, sounding anything but. Fully dressed himself, he reached down and grabbed the ruined underwear. "Maybe I should keep this," he mused.

Temperance raised an eyebrow at him, bewildered. "Whatever for? They're ruined," she pointed out.

He nodded, then seriously said, "Souvenir, Bones."

She glared icily at him, snatched the fabric from him and threw it into the plastic bag they were using as a trash bag, covering the used condoms inside. She tidied up the rest of their things, discarding the paper plates they'd used earlier and the empty bottle of juice they'd drunk in between each lovemaking session.

By the time the credits rolled and Ben opened the door, they were both as presentable as could be, ready to leave.

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><p><strong>Please note that starting next chapter onwards, it will be a different plotline than BOF.<strong>

Thank you again for everything and see you next chapter.

Juliet.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N:** Welcome to the first 'real' chapter of Where You Lead. Starting this chapter on, the story veers off from BOF. We start off with a slightly extended version of Booth's birthday and, of course, a different ending than the one we had of BOF chapter 34.

Warning: The first few paragraphs borders on an M rating. If you are below the age of 16, scroll down to the first page break then read it.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Hart Hanson owns it all.

_November 15, 1991_.

He was woken at four thirty in the morning by warm hands sliding down his naked torso from behind and equally warm lips trailing kisses up and down the side of his neck. Blinking his eyes open, he turned his head to look over his shoulder. His eyes adjusted to the dark and he was able to make out Temperance's features. Her pale, porcelain cheeks and bright blue eyes stood out in the dark.

"Bones…?" his voice was raspy with sleep. "What are you doing? It's the middle of the night." He settled on his back, his arms winding around her thin frame before pulling her snug on top of him.

She nodded. "I know," she sighed happily, smiling as she rested her head on his shoulder and ran her hands up and down his front. "But it's your birthday, remember?"

He laughed, tilting his head back on his pillow to look at his alarm clock. Temperance took the chance to pepper kisses on his exposed throat. "It's four thirty in the morning," he moaned, unsure whether he was upset by her interruption of his sleep or excited by the prospect of lovemaking, if the way she was trailing her hands down his body was any indication.

"Mm-hmm," she hummed against his throat, just below his Adam's apple. "I figured you'd be busy all day today with your friends and celebrating with the family…We might not have time to do this later."

"We could've waited until after everyone went to sleep," Booth suggested half-heartedly, his fingers inching up her shirt to feel the warm skin underneath.

She shook her head. "No, you'd want to sleep early," she said knowingly, her hands swiftly sliding his sleep shorts down his hips and legs. "You don't want to be tired or late to the game tomorrow. That's the only time you ever go to sleep early."

He paused slightly, his lips hovering over her pulse point. "Am I that predictable?" he muttered, a little irked.

She laughed, her fingers closing around him and making his eyes roll back in his head as she started firmly stroking him. His mind went blank instantly, just a tiny thread of control he stubbornly hung onto. "Bones," he whispered harshly against her racing heart as she pressed her hips against his. "Baby, you know we're in the house, right?"

She hummed in reply. "I'm aware," her voice was low and breathy as she moved above him, their clothed centers rubbing together frantically for more friction.

"I…" Booth started to say, a small part of his brain still thinking clearly, worried about someone overhearing them. Temperance started to place biting kisses on her chest and sternum, her grip on him tightening slightly, and his sensibility went completely out the window.

He tugged her tank top over her head, eager as her naked flesh came into his view. He rolled their bodies together so that she was lying underneath him, his fingers deftly, hurriedly, tugging at her sweatpants. She 'helped' by wriggling her hips and distracting him with kisses pressed hotly all over his face, neck and chest.

Once she was as bare as he was, he slid into place above her, settling himself snugly against her. He leaned down to capture her lips in a wet, hot, open-mouthed kiss.

His hand slid down the slim length of her body, stopping at her hip. He squeezed his fingers into her flesh gently before dropping his hand lower to the back of her upper thigh. He hitched her leg around his hip, and her eyes fluttered close, her back arching as she hummed in pleasure when his hand reached between them.

"You are so crazy, Bones," he murmured, even as he slid inside of her. Her throaty chuckle turned into a pleasured moan as she wrapped herself around him tighter as she welcomed him home.

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><p>When he woke up again a couple of hours later, he felt sluggish but lax at the same time. It was an odd combination and, as he made his way down the stairs following the enticing scent of chocolate chip pancakes, he couldn't help the silly, happy grin on his face.<p>

"Morning," he yawned out to the three occupants of the kitchen.

Jared grunted at him in response. Pops lifted his head from the pan he was flipping pancakes on and gave Booth a smile, returning his greeting.

Temperance abandoned the cupcakes she was arranging on a plate, beaming widely as she came up to him to give him a sweet kiss on the lips – as much as he loved her kisses (the passionate ones, the playful ones, the coy ones; all the different kinds), he couldn't help but compare the soft, sweet brush of her lips against his with the arousing kisses she had given him earlier that day.

"Happy birthday, Booth," she smiled at him shyly when she pulled back, her arms dropping to her sides as she made to step away from him – she was still a little self-conscious showing affection towards him when they were around Pops and Jared. He suspected the fact that their relationship was hidden from the rest of the world outside the house had something to do with this. After all, it was easier for her to be a little looser with him when they were alone.

Not willing to let her go just yet, Booth wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pulled her gently back towards him, ignoring her squeak of protest. "Thank you," he grinned at her, raining gentle kisses on her forehead, down her nose and to her lips. "Are those my birthday cupcakes?" he asked without turning his eyes away from her, punctuating each word with a soft, lingering kiss on her lips.

She blushed bright red at the physical affection given in front of Pops and Jared though she made no effort to push Booth away. "Um…Yes," she mumbled against his mouth.

He stole one last kiss from her, his lips tugging at hers gently, before releasing her. "Awesome," he cheered, heading straight for the plate and swiping a chocolate muffin from it.

Temperance's face was still flushed an almost maroon color as she stumbled over to the kitchen island, eyes averted to the cupcakes she continued to stack on the plate so as not to look Pops or Jared in the eye.

It was a good thing, too, because if she'd looked at them, she would've seen Jared frowning disgustedly at the two of them and Pops rolling his eyes while giving Booth a mock stern glare.

Booth, unrepentant, polished off three muffins before the pancakes were served. His 'bottomless pit' as Temperance liked to call it and his excessive sweet tooth allowed him the appetite to finish off a high stack of pancakes dowsed in maple syrup and whip cream. It made Temperance a little sick just watching such high amounts of sugar being consumed. Silently, she wondered if he was going to end up sick later.

"So what do you have planned for later, Shrimp?" Pops asked Booth halfway through breakfast.

Booth looked up, frowning. "Whadaya mean?" he asked through a mouthful of pancake.

Temperance made a noise in the back of her throat as she was given a view of half-chewed breakfast in his mouth. "Booth!" she complained, glaring at him.

He offered her a sheepish grin, chewed quickly and swallowed before speaking again, "We're doing what we always do – after school, we're having dinner together."

Pops frowned. "You're not inviting friends over?" he asked.

Booth shrugged, "Nah."

He didn't seem all that bothered by the prospect of spending a quiet birthday with just three other people in attendance.

As the day progressed – starting with about a couple of dozen birthday wishes from friends, teammates and schoolmates in general – Temperance realized just how different she and Booth were.

While her birthday had gone unnoticed by anyone outside the Booths (with the glaring exception of Amy), Booth's birthday was known and acknowledged by people he barely even knew. Just how they knew his birthday was beyond her though she supposed they could've just heard Booth's friends wish him happy birthday and wish the same thing just for a chance to say something to the star basketball player.

Booth's enthusiastic 'thank you's and cheerful persona throughout the day just proved to Temperance that despite the reservations she'd had before, she, Pops and Jared were doing the right thing.

"Let's go to the park," Jared said to Booth the moment the car stopped in the driveway.

Booth shot him a look. "What?"

Jared looked at Booth as though he was particularly slow. "Let's go to the park," he repeated himself, his words deliberately slower this time.

Booth rolled his eyes. "You want me to drop you off?" he moved to clarify.

Jared shook his head. "No," he sighed. "I thought maybe we could throw the ball around a little."

Booth stared at him. "You want to go to the park _with_ me?" he asked incredulously.

Jared leaned forward in his seat. "You're not very bright today, are you?" he asked knowingly.

Temperance giggled at the glower on Booth's face. "Maybe you should go," she suggested.

Booth's head swiveled to the front to look at her sitting beside him. "Why?" he asked, suspicion definitely creeping into his voice now.

She shrugged, "No reason, Booth. Your brother wants to spend some time alone with you on your birthday and it's going to be a while before dinnertime. It's fine if you wish to go."

He was still giving her a doubtful look as he pulled out of the driveway, Jared now sitting in the passenger seat up front.

Temperance waved at them with a smile on her face. When she was sure they were gone, she turned and hurried into the house.

As she, Pops and Jared had discussed earlier in the morning before Booth had come down for his birthday breakfast, Jared had taken Booth to the park to be distracted until everything was ready. Temperance would've kept him out of the house herself but she and Pops both knew that Jared wouldn't be much help setting things up. She could only hope that Jared didn't accidentally let something slip.

Inside the house, Pops had already started work on the little surprise party they would be throwing for Booth later on.

It was a small party, considering how many people Booth knew and was friendly with – Temperance was the only person other than Booth who came into constant contact with his school friends and she knew she would've been laughed away from their circle if she'd approached any of them. Pops might not be completely in the know of what went on in school socially but he knew enough to understand that Temperance would be too uncomfortable asking any of them to come over.

It wasn't anything extravagant and it definitely wasn't going to be a wild party since Pops and Jared would be attending and Booth was wary of anything alcoholic being in the house. It was just a dinner party, with Booth's basketball buddied promising to be in attendance – _they_ Temperance wasn't wary to approach.

The table was already set for dinner later so Temperance helped Pops tidy the living room up a little and lay out the party favors. Once that was done, she ventured into the kitchen to help him prepare Booth's birthday dinner.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked as she made her way to stand beside him as he worked on the spaghetti.

Pops gave her a smile. "No, thanks, sweetheart," he said gruffly. "I got it. You just get started on the cake."

Temperance nodded, moving away to grab the necessary ingredients. Pops snuck looks at her as he stirred the sauce. "You know, we could've bought him a cake," he pointed out to her. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble. I know you must be tired from school…"

Temperance shook her head. "It's not a problem, Pops," she assured him. "I wanted to make it."

"Ah," Pops said, an understanding gleam in his eye as he threw a knowing smile her way.

For some reason, his stare made her blush heavily. She rushed to clarify, "I-it's nothing like that…My mom baked birthday cakes every year for my dad, Russ and I. I just…I thought it'd be nice to make one for Booth…"

Pops kissed the top of her head and ruffled her hair lightly as she passed with the newly cleaned and dried beaker. "I know," he nodded, as though this was a story that he'd heard a hundred times. "It's nice that you're doing this for him."

She smiled, a little less unsure now about the cake. "Thanks," she mumbled, dropping her gaze as she measured the amount of flour needed. She'd just placed the batter in the oven when the doorbell rang, signaling the first of their visitors.

"I'll get it," she assured Pops who had collapsed into his chair in the living room, complaining of his back aching.

By the time Booth and Jared got home, the living room was filled with antsy teenagers. "Hey, Tempe," Kyle called out, talking through a mouthful of Cheetos. "When's Seeley getting here?"

Temperance opened her mouth to reply when Jimmy answered for her from his perch by the window. "Hey, I see his car!" he shouted, catching everyone's attention. "He's here!"

It was nearing sunset and the room was darkened further by the closed curtains, so none of them had to find hiding places. They heard Booth and Jared's arguing voices on the other side of the door just before it swung open.

"What the hell," Booth groused. "Why the hell is it so dark in here?" He was so distracted by his annoying little brother and the brotherly spat they'd been having that he'd completely skipped over any suspicious signs that might've indicate a surprise birthday party in his honor.

He stepped further into the house, almost walked into a wall on his way towards the living room and felt around for the light switch on the wall. The moment light flooded the room, Booth jumped in shock when the twenty or so people in the room he didn't know was there shouted, "SURPRISE!"

He stared at them in complete shock, a stunned smile beginning to spread across his lips. "Wha…?" he muttered stupidly.

His eyes swept across the room and found Temperance beaming expectantly next to Pops. He took his steps towards her. "Did you two do all this?" he asked unnecessarily, grinning widely now at his friends.

"Yes," Temperance nodded. "I know you said you didn't want a big fuss over your birthday but you've turned seventeen and this isn't a big fuss, really, and we invited only a handful of your friends and-"

Booth had to force himself not to lean down and kiss her. "This is great, Bones," he told her in a voice that matched the warmth of his eyes. "Thanks, Bones, Pops."

Jared scowled at his big brother. "What about me?" he complained. "I had to keep you out of the house for hours while they set it up. Do you know how exhausting it is to spend four hours with you?"

Booth rolled his eyes but thanked his brother as well, albeit in a wrier tone.

* * *

><p>Temperance had been wary that the party wouldn't be up to Booth's expectations, even if he had none to begin with considering his lack of knowledge of it. She'd been worried that it would be too boring for him but he and his friends entertained themselves well enough that by the time presents had been over and done with (her 'COCKY' belt buckle being his favorite one, as he'd proclaimed to the entire room) and dinner was being served, Temperance had no doubts at all that she, Pops and Jared had thrown him a party good enough to be a fond memory.<p>

Booth had received a surprise visit from a special guest a few minutes before dinner was served – Debbie, who had flown in from California with presents and an apology from a swamped-with-work Lydia who couldn't be there. Booth had hugged her long and tight, and it was clear to Temperance that he'd missed his two aunts.

Halfway through dinner (which was eaten buffet-style, everyone spread out all over the living room as music blared from the radio and a movie she didn't recognize played on the TV screen), they received a late guest in the form of Cam Saroyan.

Although it had been a few weeks since Cam's latest – and hopefully last – attempt at 'seducing' Booth, and several weeks since her discovery of Booth's and Temperance's romantic relationship, Temperance was still not all that happy about Cam's presence in their lives.

She wasn't one to read between the lines or understand the subtlety of human behavior. That was clearly in Booth's department, not hers. Even so, she had the distinct feeling that despite whatever strange civility she and Cam had managed to scrounge up between them, Cam was still not very fond of her.

Temperance had to say that the feeling was mutual.

But she knew that Booth seemed to enjoy Cam's company as a friend so she pasted on the most genuine smile she could muster up and greeted her with an awkward half-hug she couldn't duck out of sooner if she tried.

"Cam, you made it," she said needlessly, her tone lacking any enthusiasm whatsoever.

If Cam heard it, she didn't acknowledge it out loud. Booth was a little too busy sweeping her up into a hug to notice the lack of warmth between the two girls.

"Of course I did," Cam said, directing this at Booth as she pulled away from him. Temperance didn't know if she was being awfully observant or awfully envious as she noted how long it took for them to part from their embrace. "I wouldn't miss your birthday for the world."

Booth grinned. "Is that for me?" he asked, nodding at the wrapped package in her hand.

Cam handed it to him wordlessly. "I got it for you a couple of weeks back," she smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I wish I could stay for longer but Felicia and I got grounded and I'm still carrying out my sentence."

Booth's eyebrows furrowed together as he looked up from the wrapped present to look at her. "If you're still grounded then…?"

Cam grinned impishly. "I snuck out my bedroom window and shimmied down the trellis," she admitted without an ounce of guilt. "I've got to head back before mom or dad notices. Felicia can only cover for me for so long before she gets bored."

Booth chuckled. "Well, I appreciate you sneaking out here, even if it's only for a little while," he teased. "Thanks."

Cam nodded. Shooting a furtive look at Temperance, she stepped closer to Booth and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Happy birthday, big guy," she flashed him a smile.

The smile turned slightly wary and less cheerful as she turned to look at Temperance. "Bye, Temperance," she said. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Of course," Temperance's tone was just as stiff as Cam's.

Booth, obviously, wasn't as unobservant as Temperance believed. He knew his girlfriend and his neighbor still had a few issues between them they hadn't had a chance to bury yet. He also knew that most of those issues – if not all of them – had to do with him.

He would've stepped in and took on the role of peacemaker if he hadn't had experience in the past showing him how ugly things could get if someone got in the way of two less-than-friendly girls.

Temperance and Cam weren't close friends or sisters or the like but he knew that, with time, they'd be able to let go of this illusion of rivalry and see that they actually had some things in common…Alright, so he _hoped_ that this would happen. Stranger things have occurred, haven't they?

"Well, that was nice of her, wasn't it?" he said when Cam had disappeared back into the foyer, waving the wrapped gift in his hand slightly.

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Yes, she should be nominated for sainthood," she quipped sarcastically, an unintentional pout forming on her lips and her arms crossed over her chest.

Booth chuckled. He gave into the urge to show her even the slightest bit of affection and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Aw, Bones," he murmured softly, his tone just loud enough for her ears. She looked up, her expression softening at the warm, loving look in his eyes. "You know you're my favorite girl."

She tried to fight her smile but his cheeriness was infectious. "I better be your only girl, Seeley Booth," she warned jestingly.

He smothered his grin, shrugging his shoulders and saying, "Eh," flippantly. Temperance chuckled, pinching his side in gentle retaliation.

The party lasted well after midnight. Pops had gone to bed early, leaving free-spirited Debbie to oversee a bunch of teenagers. Booth's basketball buddies had brought dates with them and Debbie had offered to dim the lights and put some 'make-out music' on for them. Temperance had blushed bright red.

Once the last of their guests had left and Debbie had settled into Booth's bedroom for the night (Booth was bunking with Jared until Debbie left on Sunday; Temperance had offered to let her stay in her room but Debbie had only been interested in 'oohing' and 'ahhing' at how pretty the room was, saying it wouldn't feel right kicking Temperance out of her own room), Booth and Temperance settled on the couch, ignoring the mess around them for the night.

"Was it a good birthday?" Temperance asked Booth sleepily as they reclined on the couch, Booth with his back against the armrest and Temperance between his legs, practically lying on top of him.

Booth smiled. He wrapped one arm around her waist and brushed his fingers through her soft hair. "The best," he murmured, pressing kisses into her sweet-smelling curls.

Temperance let out a drowsy chuckle. "Okay, good," she mumbled, shifting so that she was lying on her side on top of him, her cheek pressed into his chest and her palm resting over his beating heart.

They laid in silence for a few minutes. Despite her even breathing and closed eyes, Booth knew she wasn't actually asleep yet. After a few moments, Booth spoke up again, "You know, aunt Lydia is terrible at getting gifts."

"Mm."

"So, every year, she gives cash instead."

"Mmm."

"Normally, I just get something cool with the money…Or hide it, back when I was still living with my dad…"

Temperance's eyes stayed close even as she lifted her head slightly and turned her face to press a kiss to his chest.

He smiled, repeatedly stroking her hair gently with his fingers. "But I was thinking, this year, maybe I could put it into the fund for our road trip…"

At this, Temperance opened her eyes to look at him. "Our road trip?" she said quietly.

Booth nodded. "She gave me a couple hundred bucks so, y'know, it's gonna be a big boost for our fund," he told her.

Temperance bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "Are you sure?" she asked him worriedly. "You don't have to put any birthday money in that fund. You could use it to get something nice for yourself."

He shrugged. "I don't want anything," he answered truthfully. "Look, the road trip is something great for the both of us." He paused, giving her a tentative, calculating look. "You do still want to go on the road trip, right?"

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Of course I do," she scoffed, as if the idea that she didn't want to was preposterous.

Booth grinned. "Then it's settled," he nodded, his mind made up. "Birthday money goes in the road trip fund and come graduation, we're gonna be on our way to the Grand Canyon."

Temperance shook her head at the almost childish joy in his expression. "Booth, you do realize that even with your birthday cash, it's probably not going to be enough for us to go all the way to the Grand Canyon?"

He gave her a ridiculous mock stern look. "Not with that attitude it won't," he scolded her teasingly.

Temperance huffed. "I just meant that maybe we should postpone the trip for a year or two," she suggested. "We could have the time to save up more. We only came up with the idea this past summer."

Booth nodded. "I know."

_It was another one of their shared nights in the guest house at the beach house. It was well after midnight, the house was eerily quiet and Booth and Temperance were wrapped up in one another as they laid on Temperance's temporary bed, her back to his front. The sheets had been partially pushed aside when they had been passionately embracing earlier and Temperance had kicked the rest off a few minutes before._

_Booth had his arm wrapped around her waist, his fingers rubbing soothingly over the cool material of her nightgown. Temperance sighed as the exposed skin of her back came into contact with his bare chest. It felt like such a relief, such a comforting thing, to feel his skin on hers._

_Even with the relaxing day Debbie had practically forced on them the moment she heard of what had transpired the day before with David Booth, Temperance was still a little shaken up. She knew Booth was much worse. He'd retreated almost completely – she was only thankful that he was letting his guard down around her, at the very least, when they were alone._

_He wouldn't talk about his father's reappearance or the abuse he and his brother had endured growing up. He would, however, speak of the lighthearted memories of his childhood. Most of them included his grandfather and his late mother. Some starred David when he was sober._

_Temperance had been anxious, right after David had left and she was left to comfort a distressed Booth. She didn't know what she was going to do or how she would go about doing it. It was no secret that she wasn't the best at reading people – even Booth – and she hadn't wanted to let him down._

_And then, in the still of the night, she'd realized that silence worked just as well as words sometimes._

_All she had to do was be there for him, hold him in a warm embrace and show him without words that she was there for him._

_It had worked splendidly so far and she hoped that if the need arose for soothing words, she'd be able to tackle them as well as this._

"_We should go to the Grand Canyon," Booth said suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts._

_Temperance frowned. "What?" she asked, unsure if she'd heard him right. His words had come straight out of the left field and it took her a moment to realize he'd actually said that._

"_The Grand Canyon," Booth repeated. "We should go."_

_Temperance pressed her head against her pillow, looking over her shoulder at him. "You do realize this is a completely random line of conversation?" she drawled._

_Of course, there had been a lot of random comments from Booth this past day._

_Booth chuckled, rolling her onto her back before tugging her body sideways so she'd face him instead. "Not really," he sighed, and she saw a small smile lifting one corner of his lips. "My mom made that plan when I was nine."_

_Temperance blinked. "Oh."_

"_She said that one day, the three of us would pack our bags, get in the car and go on an impromptu road trip to the Grand Canyon," he explained, a faraway look in his eyes that told her he was reminiscing about the past once more. "We'd escape real life, y'know, leave all our problems behind…I always assumed that was my dad cuz she never said we'd take him with us."_

_Temperance snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his bicep. "Did you ever go?" she asked softly, running her hand up and down his side._

_Booth shook his head. "Nah," his tone was a little too flippant for it to be genuine. "She got sick a few months later and, y'know, she died when I was eleven. We had a bunch of money saved up but some we used for her medical bills and the rest my dad took…"_

_He blinked a few times, as though to clear the memory, and dropped his gaze to her, their eyes locking. "We should go," he nodded determinedly._

_Temperance gazed at him for a long time._

_He wondered if she'd ask him if he'd lost his mind or tell him that going to the Grand Canyon wouldn't bring back his mother or even berate him for thinking that she'd do whatever it was he wanted; it was, after all, his fault that she'd even had to go through the trauma of David's visit. It was unfair to think that she'd have to suffer the bad parts of being a Booth when she'd come into the family with the promise that she'd only get the good parts._

_Finally, she nodded and her beautiful baby blues sparkled when she said, "Okay. We'll go."_

_His eyes lit up. "Really?"_

_She had to chuckle at the excitement in his voice. She'd forgotten that he could have such a pure, childlike joy about him sometimes. "Yes," she confirmed. "If this is what you want, we'll do it. It sounds…Fun."_

_She seemed almost hesitant to say the word._

"_And it would be an enriching experience," she added._

_He grinned. She was the only teenager he knew who would call a road trip an 'enriching experience'. "Cool," he said nonetheless. "When should we go?" he wondered, wrapping his arms around her slim body and pulling her snug into his body._

_Temperance pursed her lips, thinking. "What about after graduation?" she suggested. "We'd have a whole summer before college starts."_

_Booth's eyes sparkled at the idea. "That sounds great," he enthused. "We could drag it out a little, y'know, a week or two. Maybe stop a few times on the way."_

"_We should make a list," Temperance said and he couldn't help but think she sounded most excited about that._

_He laughed and the sound was warmer than the half-hearted chuckles he'd given the past day. The sound slid down her spine and warming her down to her toes. "We should," he agreed happily, and she noted that his tone was lighter and happier than it had been before. "We'll make a list of all the places we'll go and, come graduation, we're outta here."_

_She laughed and it sounded almost like a giggle. "We should save up, too," she suggested. "We need a road trip fund."_

_He rolled her onto her back, lying on top of her while being careful that his weight didn't crush her. "Okay," he agreed easily, a contented sigh escaping his lips. He beamed at her, his dark eyes boring into her baby blues._

_He was silent for a long time and she reciprocated, just enjoying the comfort of his warm embrace. Booth reached out and smoothed back her hair from her face, his large, gentle hands cupping her porcelain cheeks. "I love you, Bones," he murmured quietly, leaning down to brush his lips against hers lovingly._

_Temperance felt her heart pounding wildly against her rib cage, the combination of his honest confession and warm gaze leaving her breathless. "I love you, too," she whispered. To hide her blush, she pressed her lips more firmly against his._

_She was slightly relieved that the intense moment was broken when his hands snuck underneath her nightgown, his fingers tickling her sides and making break away from his kiss, laughing at the sensation. She reveled in the wide smile splitting across his face, his laughter mingling with hers_.

"Doesn't matter," Booth said, snapping out of his memory. "I'll put the money into our savings and we'll see what we've got at the end of the school year."

Temperance sighed. "Alright," she agreed. "But don't complain to me when you can't afford a new tub of Kangaroo Paste," she rolled her eyes, referring to the too-expensive, internationally imported hair gel Booth couldn't live without.

* * *

><p>It wasn't uncommon for Temperance's mind to continue working long after her eyes had slid shut for her nightly rest.<p>

She'd make to-do lists and reviewed her homework assignments and outlined what she needed to do with her school projects in her sleep. She'd always been able to do that and, when this was casually mentioned to her father once when she was younger and her family was still around, he'd teased that she was a go-getter even when she was unconscious.

This was why, as she'd gone through the events of her day to make sure she hadn't forgotten to do anything she was scheduled to accomplish that day, she shot up in bed suddenly, her eyes wide and panicked and her breathing growing labored.

"Oh, crap," she muttered. "Oh, no, no, no, no. This _cannot_ be happening to me."

She sat there on her bed, the sheets rumpled around her, completely stunned for a few long moments. She was snapped out of it when she heard a car go by, a honk blaring loud enough to wake a dead man.

Scrambling out of bed, she almost barged out of her room and into Booth's in a rage. Birdie, who was sleeping on his favorite perch right at the top of the stairs, gave a loud 'meow' right as she was about to bang her fist on Booth's closed bedroom door (he'd kept it locked the first few nights Birdie was around, upset that the cat would find a way to get inside to pee all over his floor but Birdie had broken that habit now; he still wouldn't leave the door open, though, not wanting to tempt the cat).

The sound was louder than it would've been normally and reminded her of how quiet the house was now that it was the middle of the night. Not wanting to wake Pops and Jared up, she forewent knocking and quietly turned the doorknob, tiptoeing inside. She made sure to close the door behind her since she didn't want Birdie to sneak in – Booth would blame her and get in a tizzy if he had to clean another puddle of cat pee off his bedroom floor.

"Booth," she hissed, sitting at the edge of his bed and shaking his shoulder roughly. He groaned in his sleep but didn't even open his eyes. She sighed, climbing on top of him and settling on top of his stomach, her knees bent on either side of his waist. Booth grunted, opening his eyes slowly. "Booth, wake up," she urged, shaking his shoulders again.

He peered up at her. "Do I have to lock my door again?" he asked her, his voice gritty with sleep and irritation.

Temperance rolled her eyes. "Booth, this is serious," she snapped.

"Well, that's what you said when you woke me up at three in the morning, panicked because you thought you hadn't studied for your American Revolution test and made me quiz you until six," he yawned, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. "Can't this wait until sunrise?"

"I'm late," she blurted out.

His eyebrows furrowed together. "Late for what? It's four thirty in the freakin' morning!" he growled, not catching on.

Temperance grasped his shoulders tightly and looked deeply into his eyes. "I'm _late_," she repeated, slowly and enunciating both words this time.

He stared at her blankly. "I think I'm having a weird Alice in Wonderland dream," he mumbled stupidly.

Temperance fought the urge to slap her palm against her forehead. "Booth!" she scolded. "I meant my period!"

His cheeks flamed instantly. "What! Why do you have to tell me tha…Oh," realization struck him and his embarrassment of such a private feminine issue was diminished instantly. His blushing face turned pale.

They stared at one another, completely terrified.

"Wha-what do we…What's gonna…I mean, uh, what…?" Booth stammered.

Temperance swallowed thickly. "I don't know," she whispered.

He gaped at her, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. "You don't know? You're the one who always has a plan and you don't know!" he sounded fairly faint.

She glared at him. "I'm in shock, alright!" she snapped, angry. Taking a deep breath, she spoke in a calmer tone of voice. "We'll go to the store tomorrow and get a home pregnancy test."

"Are those things reliable?" Booth asked doubtfully.

She shrugged. "Reliable enough," she answered firmly. "I'm not going to risk social services finding out by going to a doctor. Not to mention how expensive it is."

Booth nodded, only minutely relieved by the fact that they had a plan now, flimsy as it may be. "Okay," he agreed. "Okay, we'll do that…Oh, wait – I have a game tomorrow."

Temperance nodded. "We'll go after the game, then," she decided.

He started to shake his head in earnest. "No, no, I can't play tomorrow with this hanging over my head," he protested incredulously. "I'd be too distracted. I'd totally tank."

She stared at him, confused. She didn't understand that last one but she gleaned that he wasn't happy with her compromise. "Well, then, what do _you_ propose we do?" she demanded.

Booth sat up, easily lifting her body off of him and placing her beside him. He pushed back the covers and slipped out of bed. "We'll go now," he said, grabbing his sweatpants from the floor and tugging them up. "They have one of those twenty-four hour pharmacies a few blocks from here, right? We'll go get one of those pregnancy stick thingies, come back here and find out for sure."

Temperance stared at him with her jaw dropped. "Now!" she hissed. "Are you insane? It's four in the morning! We'd wake Pops!"

"Not if we're stealthy."

She rolled her eyes. "We can't be stealthy," she argued. "This is a very quiet neighborhood before the sun rises and your car's louder than a jet engine."

He rolled his eyes but ushered her out the door anyway, sweatshirt on and one arm in his jacket sleeve. She barely had time to grab her long coat before he'd swept her out the door, closing it as quietly as possible. His car, like she'd predicted, made a huge noise as he started it but neither of them saw any lights being switched on inside the house. After nearly five minutes of waiting in fear that Pops might've woken up, Booth slowly backed out of the driveway.

The pharmacy was open but the one cashier that was manning the store wasn't in. He'd locked the door with a sign that said 'went to the bathroom. Be back in 10 minutes.' They waited anxiously outside the store until the cashier came back, keys in hand.

"Dude, we've been waiting for twenty minutes," Booth complained the moment the cashier walked up to the door, sliding the key in.

The cashier rolled his eyes, "Well, I'm here now, so…Whatever."

Booth glared at him, grabbed onto Temperance's hand and led her towards the aisles. "Where the hell are the stick thingies?" he muttered to himself after a few minutes of fruitless searching.

Temperance rolled her eyes, pulled her hand from his grasp and went up to the counter. "Excuse me, where are the pregnancy tests?"

The cashier – a grungy looking boy in his late teens – looked up at her over the top of his graphic novel. He stared at her for a few moments. "Aisle three," he said finally, and dropped his gaze back to his comic book.

"Thanks," she said, spun on her heel and stormed straight to aisle three. She found them immediately and called out to Booth, "Found them!"

He jumped at her voice and went looking for her. He found her in aisle three a minute later, a pink box clutched in her hand and her eyes fixed on the instructions written on the back. "You got it?" he asked. "Let's go."

"Wait," she said. "We still have to pick one."

He frowned. "What, there are different kinds?"

She nodded, "Yes." She pointed to the boxes on the shelves. "The one I'm holding uses the pink line for pregnant and blue line for not pregnant."

Booth shook his head. "Okay, so is that good?" he asked impatiently.

She shrugged. "What do I know? I'm fifteen. This is my first home pregnancy test," she said defensively. _And hopefully my last_, she added silently.

Booth exhaled loudly. "Okay, well, let's see," he grabbed a random box and read the back. "This one's a smiley face."

Temperance shook her head. "Too cheerful," she pointed out, despite how irrational that fact may be.

Booth nodded as though this made perfect sense. "You're right," he said solemnly and put the box back.

In the end, they chose the one Temperance had been holding when he met up with her in aisle three, and another one that would read out the words 'PREGNANT' or 'NOT PREGNANT' after eight minutes.

They took both boxes to the counter where the cashier did his best not to look at them and Booth did his best to glare at him if he even glanced at them for a fraction of a second. Booth paid for their purchase – without any objections from Temperance this time – and made their way back to the car.

The drive back home was the slowest and longest drive Booth had ever taken despite the fact that the store was only a few blocks away and there was not a single car in sight. The sneak back into the house and upstairs into the bathroom was nerve-wracking.

Fortunately, though, they managed it all without waking or alerting Pops and Jared. It was barely five-thirty but Temperance knew they had to hurry: Pops would wake in an hour's time, at most, and the last thing she needed was for him to walk in on a potential disaster.

"Okay, let's do this," Booth said as Temperance downed her third glass of water in two minutes.

Temperance drank the last drop in the glass before putting the glass next to the sink. "We?" she repeated dryly. "Booth, only one of us needs to pee on this thing and I'd rather do it alone."

Booth blushed, as though just realizing what needed to happen. "Oh, yeah," he said sheepishly. "Um…I'll be out in the hall. Tell me when to come back in?"

She nodded.

He gave her a kiss of encouragement and slipped out the door quietly. She locked the door and took a deep breath. She felt a little bloated from all the water she'd consumed in such little amount of time, and more than ready to go, but her nerves were getting to her.

She paced back and forth the tiled floor for a few times before rushing towards the door once more. She unlocked it and pulled it open slightly. Booth was seated on the floor, his back pressed to the wall next to the bathroom door. He rushed to his feet the moment the door was opened.

"You're done already?" he sounded surprised. "Wow, you're really fast…"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I haven't started," she told him.

"Oh," he blinked. "Why not?"

She bit her lower lip and chewed on it for a moment. "I-I'm scared," she admitted quietly, embarrassed by such an admission.

Booth pushed the door open slightly wider so he could step inside and wrap his arms around Temperance. "I know," he murmured, his lips and nose buried in her hair. "I am, too. But we'll get through this together, Temperance. We'll be okay."

She wasn't sure if she believed him but he'd used her first name and had said it all in that serious tone of his he rarely ever used so she knew that he believed his words completely.

Taking a deep breath – one that felt it was cleansing her body from the inside out instead of suffocating her – she nodded, accepted another kiss from him and closed the door.

Feeling better, she took out the two pregnancy tests from their boxes and sat down on the toilet seat, ready to find out if she and Booth needed to come up with contingency plans or not.

Booth, on the other hand, had rushed towards his bedroom, grabbed the empty potato chip tin can where he and Temperance kept their road trip fund. He pulled open the plastic cover and tipped the tin can over, shaking it out so the crumpled up bills inside fell on top of his bedspread. He made quick count of the cash – two hundred and thirty-two bucks. It probably wasn't enough to get them to the Grand Canyon and it definitely wasn't enough to raise a baby.

_But it's a start_, he thought grimly.

He saw the stream of light on the floor of the hallway, indicating that Temperance had opened the bathroom door once more. He hurriedly stuff the bills into the tin can once more, covered it with the plastic lid and brought the can with him to the bathroom.

He stepped inside the bathroom, closed the door as quietly as he could and joined Temperance on the floor next to the bathtub. She had her back against the wall, the two pregnancy tests laid out on the floor next to her.

"So?" he asked, anxious due to the unsettled look on her face.

She shook her head. "Not yet," she replied, her voice quiet with worry. "There's still five minutes left."

"Oh."

Temperance glanced at Booth and frowned at the cylindrical aluminum container grasped in his hand. "What is that?" she asked him warily.

Booth held the container up. "This?" he asked unnecessarily. "It's our road trip fund."

"Yes, I know," she said slowly. "Why did you bring it out?"

He shrugged. "I don't know…I mean, I was counting how much we had in there. It's about two hundred bucks and I know it's not much but we-we can work this out-"

She interrupted him immediately. "Work what out?" she asked, panic seeping into her voice.

"Well, you're pregnant," he stated.

"No, I might be pregnant," she corrected him instantly. "We don't know for sure that I am. And we're hoping that I'm not, remember?"

He nodded. "No, yeah, I know," he said quickly. "But if you are, y'know, I don't want you to think that you'd have to do this alone or that I won't be any help. W-we'll postpone the trip until we're older. I'll get a job. We'll pull through."

Temperance stared at him for a long time. Finally, she sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know if you're sweet or insane," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips. She reached out and caressed his cheek with her hand. "Look, I don't know what we'd do if I really am pregnant but I…I'd rather not think about it unless we have to."

He looked slightly hurt. "Is the idea of having my baby that repulsive?"

She gave him a look. "No, but it is a terrible one when neither of us are legal," she pointed out. "Up until an hour ago, I didn't think I'd ever have kids and do the typical marriage thing, even way down the line. I-it's just a bit much for me to consider right now, Booth."

And even though he still felt slighted by her words, he nodded like he understood. Unlike Temperance, he actually _could_ imagine himself happily married to her down the line, with a big family and a nice house somewhere and maybe a dog or two. He didn't think it was a normal thing for teenagers to dream about but it was his dream nonetheless.

Still, this wasn't a dream that was supposed to happen for a decade or two so he nodded and said, "You're right," anyway. Maybe he'd be able to convince her. He had, after all, at least fifteen years left to change her mind and he _was_ very persuasive.

Her watch beeped, startling the two of them because the faint sound was loud in the silent room. Temperance quickly clicked a button to stop the alarm. They shared a look and both took a deep, calming breath.

"This is it," Booth said, his heart jumping to his throat.

They held hands and Temperance reached out, lifting the test closest to her. Her eyes widened and she dropped it, going for the other.

"Well?" Booth demanded anxiously.

Temperance seemed stunned, her face numb, but a slow smile was starting to spread across her lips. "I'm not pregnant," she murmured.

"You're not?"

She shook her head.

They both seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at that.

Sharing another look, this one much more lighthearted, they started to laugh. He dropped the road trip fund and grabbed her in a tight bear hug. "Thank God," he whispered, relieved.

Temperance laughed, tears leaking from her eyes as she hugged him back just as fiercely. _Thank God_, she silently echoed his sentiment.

* * *

><p>Gosh, I'm so sorry this took ages. My home computer got totally screwed and I had to wait until my grandmother's house was cousin-free before I could post this.<p>

I hope you've all enjoyed this first chapter of Where You Lead. I know I was going to avoid any talk of babies at all here but I just had to add that scare in. I hope none of you were worried for two seconds – or upset that I'd brought it in at all.

That potato-chip tin can fund? I had the same thing with my cousin-slash-pseudo-brother when I was younger. We saw that Frankie Muniz/Amanda Bynes movie 'Big Fat Liar' and thought, 'hmm, we should get a room as cool as that prop warehouse they hid in' and decided to save up to get one just like it. It took a year for us slowpokes to realize it was a totally unrealistic dream so we took out our savings, split it in half and had a mini-spree at the mall…

Anyway, next chapter of BOF & WYL as soon as I can get it uploaded.

Feel free to leave a line and tell me what you think.

Juliet.


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